


I'm Not a Whore, I'm a Leech

by RedExorcism



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: F/M, Fanfiction, Frankie - Freeform, frank iero - Freeform, my chemical romance - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-28
Updated: 2014-07-29
Packaged: 2018-01-21 04:17:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1537244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedExorcism/pseuds/RedExorcism
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Leech. That's what they called her. One of the more politer names to be sure. She could feel their lingering glares as she walked throughout the hallways. She could hear their whispered accusations through lessons, she could feel the mistrust radiating from each and every one of them. And despite this, she didn't care, and why should she... when she knew the truth?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

There are many associations with the name Donahue: loyalty; chivalry; pride; family; honour… I am a Donahue and therefore when people first hear of me they assume I am all of those things, as if the name Donahue was synonymous with those virtues. However, they soon discover that I am none of those things. I am not loyal, I am not chivalrous. I have pride but not in the way people seem to expect and my family does not mean as much to me as people tend to think… And as for honour? Well, I have no honour.

Students at Queen of Peace no longer associate me with the rest of my family members who uphold these aforementioned values; they have instead produced a variety of different names for me. The more common of which are ‘slut,’ ‘whore,’ and ‘bitch.’ The most creative of which is ‘leech’ (because according to a ninth grader, I suck the happiness out of people’s lives.) 

The irony, of course is that I am none of those things. Well, almost none; I suppose you could say I was a bitch. You see, while I am constantly on the grapevine for stealing so-and-so’s boyfriend, little do most people know that I am paid for my kisses. Insecure girls seek me out and beg me to see if their boyfriend is being faithful, asking me to seduce them, so to speak, to see their reaction. Of course, every girl that comes to me thinks that deep down their boyfriend will remain faithful to her. I have yet to fail in seducing a taken man. The girls never seem to tell anyone that they enlisted my services and therefore they think they are the only ones who have ever asked me for my help. 

The girls aren’t the only ones who ask for my assistance; the boys ask too. They think that because of my reputation, I won’t mind helping them out of their ‘sticky situations,’ as they like to put it. Apparently, letting your girlfriend find you cheating on her is the easiest way to break up with her. I will never understand boys’ logic; as long as they pay me though, I’ll provide my services.

You must, no doubt, be wondering how all this came to be, and how I ‘sunk so low’ as to ruin people’s relationships for money. I suppose it narrowed down to three events. The first was at the end of grade eight, I was walking to class after lunch when a hand grabbed my arm, pinned me against the wall and a pair of lips crashed down onto mine and started kissing me. It was an awkward kiss, neither of us having been very experienced. In fact, for me, it was my first kiss. I still haven’t quite forgiven him for taking my first kiss like that. 

Anyways, we kissed for a few seconds, but before I could even figure out what was happening, or who I was kissing, or why they were kissing me, a female voice drifted down the corridor. I believe her exact words were, “Oh, Frankie! How could you do this to me? I love you!” Then she ran off crying and that was the end of their pathetic little ‘relationship’ and the start of my reputation as the ‘leech.’ Once she was gone, Frank Iero pulled away from me and whispered “Thank you” in my ear and walked off.

By the time grade nine started, people seemed to have forgotten that I had ended poor Ruby’s ‘relationship’ and I once again became the recluse in the library. That was until Victor Jareau entered my life in mid-September during grade nine. I had been in the library studying for a Science test when he walked in and asked if I could help him with something. I nodded, dumbfounded, and he sat beside me. He was in my grade and needed help studying for a Math test; he figured that seeing as I was the top of the class, I could help. Two weeks later we were a couple and so began the whirlwind that was our romance. 

For three months, Victor became the centre of my world. We studied together, we ate lunch together, we spent all of our free time together. The only times we were apart was when we were in lessons, or asleep. Any resemblances I had to friendships before then disappeared completely and I was absorbed in a world where no one but Victor existed. 

Then, a week before the Christmas holiday, I walked around a corner to come face to face with my worst nightmare: Victor, in the arms of another girl. He had her pinned against the wall and was kissing her passionately, more passionately than he had ever kissed me, and one hand was up her shirt. For several moments my mind went completely blank.

When I came to my senses, instead of breaking down and yelling at him like a normal girl would have, I turned around, marched into the foyer, grabbed the first boy that looked vaguely my age and kissed him full on the mouth in front of the larger portion of the student body. Of course, luck being on my side, (and I’m never sure if that’s sarcasm or not), the boy I happened to have been kissing was Frank Iero.

I then proceeded to whisper in his ear, telling him to pretend that we had been seeing each other for a while and that this was his payment for the end of grade eight and the whole Ruby incident. He agreed willingly and I later discovered that he had been trying to find a way t get rid of his girlfriend at the time, Kelley. Anyway, my embarrassment that Victor had cheated on me was lessened by the fact that it now looked like I had been cheating on him. 

The third event that sealed the deal, in a manner of speaking, was the first time someone asked me for my help and offered to pay me for it. For a while now, I had hated living off my parents’ money, and the idea of making some of my own while I was still in school took a hold of me like a drug and still hasn’t let me go. Her name was Lily Green, and she was in my grade. It was late February and the whole Frank scandal had somewhat died down. Lily was dating a boy in the grade above. I remember the conversation like it was yesterday…   
__________________________________________________________________________

“Hello,” a timid voice said from behind me. Turning, I see a small blonde standing nervously behind me. “Are you Cam Donahue?” I nod, knowing she only asked the question as an ice breaker. Everyone in the school knows who I am. “Um, I was wondering if you could help me with something….” I raise an eyebrow. “I’ll uh, I’ll pay you,” she stutters out.

“Go on,” I say, suddenly interested.

“Well this is a bit awkward, and I totally get it if you say you can’t help…It’s just...”

“Just spit it out!” I know, I’m not polite.

“I think my boyfriend’s cheating on me,” she rushes and it takes me a moment to decipher what she said. 

“And?” I ask.

“Well you’re really pretty…” she trails off and looks down.

“And?” I ask, yet again.

“Well, I know it’s ridiculous…but I was wondering if maybe you could, umm, try and seduce him or something…” she mutters. I stare at her. She wants me to…seduce her boyfriend?

“You want me to seduce your boyfriend?” I ask for clarification.

“Try, try to seduce him. If you succeed then I know he isn’t being faithful. If you don’t then I can stop worrying,” she explains.

“How much?”

“What?”

“How much will you pay me to seduce your boyfriend?”

“Ten dollars.”

“Make it fifteen and you’ve got a deal.”

“Fine.”

“And I want it payed in advance.” 

“Fine,” she snaps and she pulls her wallet out of her backpack. “Here’s ten and you can have the rest later.” She gets up to leave. “Oh, and I want to watch to make sure you aren’t lying to me.”  
__________________________________________________________________________

 

I did as she asked. It took all of ten minutes to seduce Patrick in a deserted hallway while Lily watched from a classroom. She was furious when he pinned me against the wall and started kissing me like I was an oxygen replacement. She ranted at him while I slipped down the hallway. She had paid the other five later and I’ve never spoken to her since. It seems she never told anyone that she asked for my help, and I never told anyone either. 

After that I began to really build up a reputation and before long, those who were previously confident in their relationship started coming to me, worried because I had proved so many relationships wrong, that with a little flattery boys fell at my feet. 

Once my reputation was built, boys started coming to me too, aware that I had no qualms about breaking up relationships and asking me to help them end theirs. 

By the end of grade ten I became known as ‘the leech.’

By the end of grade eleven I began to question the intelligence of my fellow students. I didn’t understand that no one had pieced together what I was doing. I was only ever spotted kissing taken boys and it was only ever their girlfriends that caught us. Anyone who put their mind to it would have been able to see it. After two and a half year, I was shocked no one had.

Entering grade twelve I was curious to see if anyone had finally clicked. By the time I got to Queen, it was clear that no one had. Or, if they had, they hadn’t said anything. Instead I was given my first job of the year by Elizabeth Turner, whose concerns over her boyfriend had grown over the summer to the point where she was willing to ask for my help.

So here I am, waiting in a deserted hallway by the cafeteria. He was a year younger than me, in grade eleven, and he has succumbed to my temptations at least twice before. When the echoing of voices drifted down the hall, I position myself and not at Turner who is tucked inside a little alcove in the hall. It does not take long for a group of students to walk toward the cafeteria.

When I spot Turner’s boyfriend, Will, making his way in our direction with a group of his classmates, I carefully step into their path as they walk by, purposefully walking into Will and dropping my books. He looks startled but bends down to pick them up anyway, waving his friends on as they stop. The girl amongst the group glares daggers at me and I smile sweetly back. Her ex-boyfriend paid me to kiss him at the end of last year. 

“Cam.” Will nods as he hands me my books. “Have a good summer?” He was going to make conversation with me? This would be over quicker than I thought. 

“It was alright.” I shrug. “I think my math textbook is still here somewhere.” I frown and look around by our feet. Will immediately crouches down and looks behind the garbage can. When he finds nothing, I offer him a hand to help him up. He takes it and as he stands, I pretend to trip. He automatically catches me, and I look up at him with grateful eyes. He absentmindedly moves out of the main hallway and into the side one where Turner is waiting and watching. 

“Are you okay?” he murmurs, not letting go of my waist. I nod and bite my lip. He brushes a strand of hair from my face and tucks it behind my ear. “Are you sure? You look a little pale...” he murmurs again and pulls me closer to himself. The ‘weak and helpless girl’ persona is my least favourite to play, but I am oddly good at it and it gives me some of my quickest results. 

“You just knocked your shoulder against my lip,” I say, allowing myself to bite my lip slowly. Will’s hand immediately moves from my waist to my lip, and before he touches it he says, “Would you like me to kiss it better?” Then he presses two fingers against my lips and I let out a slight gasp. It is the gasp that does it. His hand snakes around to the back of my neck while the other hand stays on my waist, pulling me flat against him. His lips are nothing special but I pretend to sink into them. Luckily, I do not have to wait long before Turner’s voice rings through the hallway in a piercing screech.

Will jerks away instantly and I am left questioning how many brain cells the guy actually has. This is the third time he has kissed me and the third time his girlfriend has caught us. 

Job well done, another twenty dollars in my pocket. My price went up in tenth grade when a ninth grader asked me to seduce her rather disgusting boyfriend. I had to brush my teeth twice after that assignment. 

“Already draining the happiness from young couples I see,” a voice sneers from the darkness. I roll my eyes and keep on walking. “I’m surprised you picked Will first though...I expected you to come running to me,” the voice continues.

“Jealous, are we, Iero?” I snigger in return. Iero laughs.

“Like I could ever want you,” he mocks, stepping into stride with me. “You just always seem to find ways to make me kiss you. I take pity on your feeble attempts at subtlety and oblige you. I could never want you.” I hide my frown behind a sneer. If anyone were to ever piece together what I was doing it would be Iero. For some reason the guy goes through girls like a normal person goes through socks. Everything will be fine for a few day and then one of his new ‘girlfriends’ comes running to me and begs for my help. Kissing Iero has become a steady job for me. I would say his girlfriends all come to me when they want to end it with Iero (because that is always what happens when I get involved) but for some reason they all honestly believe they are his one and only love. They think he would never cheat on them. I have proved each and every single one of them wrong. 

“Whatever you say, Iero,” I say before waving at him over my shoulder and walking down the hallway to my next class. Thankfully he doesn’t follow.


	2. Chapter Two

It is several hours past my curfew by the time I get home, by now I know my parents have gone to bed. The maid glowers at me as I wake her from her slumber on the couch. 

“Really Miss Donahue, what time do you call this? I dread to think about what you’ve been doing,” she sneers suggestively. I ignore her and clamber through the living room to the library. The only light comes from the glowing coals in the fireplace. Making my way across the book cladden room I begin stoking the fire back to life. 

“This is late even for you,” a voice says behind me. I was startled but didn’t let it show.

“I think you’ll find it is early as opposed to late.” I reply without turning around. 

“Whatever Cam,” the voice grumbles as its owner maneuvers themselves into a sitting position. “I need your help,” the voice says at last. I wait for them to continue, “You see, I have this problem.”

“When people have a problem it is generally assumed they want assistance, and one cannot provide assistance if they do not know the details of the problem.”

“Yeah, yeah…I’ve been seeing this guy for a while now but we’ve kept it a secret. I want to go public but he doesn’t and I’m afraid it’s because he’s cheating on me,” the voice mutters. “I was wondering if you’d see how he reacted if you came onto him.”

“It will cost you,” I mutter.

“Twenty dollars, I know.” This is not the first time she has asked for my help. 

“I’m going to need to know his name, Melissa,” I sigh and turn around to face my sister. It is not really a surprise I don’t know who she is dating. I am closer to Melissa than the rest of my family, but I still do not particularly care about who she is with. Why should I? It’s not my life.

“That’s the thing…” she mumbles awkwardly. I sigh, it would be typical Melissa if she was dating someone weird or embarrassing. Last time I helped her she was dating a grade nine who never stopped chewing gum. Ever. It was disgusting. I made her pay me an extra five dollars. 

“I can’t help if I don’t know his name.”

“Please don’t hate me,” she rushes. I narrow my eyes.

“Melissa you know my emotional range goes from mildly interested to annoyed.” Ever since the incident with Victor, I have stopped myself feeling anything too extreme. It’s not worth it. 

“I know, it’s just that…” 

“Spit it out.”

“It’s Victor,” she blurts out rather loudly, clearly worried about my reaction.

“No.” I say, turning back around to face the fire. 

“I’ll pay extra.” 

“No.”

“Please,” she begs. “Cam, I’ll do anything!”

I turn to her, “You know full well that you will not do anything because that is a ridiculous thing to suggest. Would you jump off the school roof? Because that is included in the concept of ‘anything’. It is an absurd thing to say.” 

“Cam, you’re changing the subject,” Melissa sighs. “I just want to know if he won’t go public because he’s not serious about me, that’s all. You’re the only person who can help me!”

“Well, it’s a shame that I can’t help you then.” 

“God, Cam, if I didn’t know you any better, I’d say you still have feelings for the guy.”

“Go to bed, Melissa,” I instruct over my shoulder, keeping my face blank. She gives me a pleading look before getting up and walking out of the library to her room. It was ludacris. Utter insanity. How dare she even ask for my help?

As I take her seat on the couch I look up at the shadows that are the ceiling and try to get her words out of my head. ‘I’d say you still have feelings for the guy.’’ I do not. I don’t feel things that extreme. Why do those words bother me so much, though? I suppose there’s only one thing to do. I will do as she asks, I will seduce him. I’ll make him want me, then I’ll slink off into the shadows as my sister yells at him. 

 

 

__________________________________________________________________________

The second day of lessons arrive and I breeze through classes half asleep. It is a permanent problem, I am always tired during the day but then when night falls, I can never get to sleep until the early hours of the morning. And I mean the late early hours of the morning. The teachers don’t notice but as I am not failing anything; they don’t care, even if they do. The only teacher who did notice was the math teacher but after I persistently fell asleep in his lessons and still aced the final exam, he left me alone. 

I spend my free periods in the library as usual, but today no uncertain girls or frustrated boys seek me out. I get ahead in my homework. I get ahead on my homework then after setting my alarm for a half hour later put my down on the table and close my eyes. 

“Cam? Cam, wake up,” someone shakes my shoulders. Opening my eyes I am greeted with a blurry world and after checking my phone realize that I still have seven minutes to sleep.

“Go away, Melissa,” I sigh before resting my head on the table. 

“No, I wanted to talk to you about last night. I shouldn’t have asked you for-”

“I’ll do it,” I interrupt.

“You’ll do it?” She looks sceptical. 

“Yes. Now, go away.” 

“You’re not just saying that?”

“Do you want to write up a contract and have me sign it? Yes, I’ll do it,” I snap.

“Thank you so much Cam! It means a lot,” she says before hugging me and running out of the library. I fall straight back to sleep for the remaining three minutes I have until it is time for my last lesson of the day: Chemistry. One of my favourites.  
__________________________________________________________________________

I nod to Mr. Reid as walk into the Chemistry lab and make my way to the back. The honours level Chemistry class is quite small. There is a shy girl who sits in the corner and doesn’t talk to anyone, two nerds who have an unfortunate tendency to blow things up, there is my cousin Peter; there is Peter’s friend Keegan. A thuggish looking boy who wouldn’t hurt a fly, Frank Iero and, of course, myself. 

“Please, get yourselves into pairs,” Reid drones as he writes the instructions on the board. The thuggish boy looks over at the shy girl who smiles back and he plucks up enough courage to join her in the corner. Peter and Keegan immediately partner up and the two nerds almost trip over their two feet in their excitement to light the bunsen burner. 

“Looks like you’re stuck with me, Leech,” a voice murmurs above me, and I look up to see the only other partnerless person in the room. Frank Fucking Iero. I’m never quite sure why I don’t like Iero. I keep telling myself that it is more than the fact that he stole my first kiss, because quite frankly, that is a ridiculous notion. First kisses don’t mean anything. 

“Aren’t I a big ball of joy?” I sneer back as I scrape my chair across the tile floors and get up to retrieve some chemicals from the back of the class. 

“No need to sound so enthusiastic,” Iero mutters. I ignore him.

Similarly to the shy girl and her partner, Iero and I work in silence; he measures while I add. The textbook is lying open in front of us but neither of us really pay attention to it. Across the room, one nerd is trying to demist his glasses while the other is trying to lesson the smoke coming from their table. Peter and Keegan are too busy talking about football to concentrate and are throwing things in randomly. 

“So Leech, been breaking any hearts lately?”

“And what makes you think I would tell you if I had?” 

“Well you haven’t been kissing me so I assume you’ve found someone else to kiss. God knows you can’t control your hormones.”

“The way you talk you might make me believe you want me to be kissing you.”

“We’ve been through this before, Leech.” He sighs. “I indulge you out of pity. I could never actually want someone like you.”

“Someone like me? Who’s someone like me?”

“That’s the thing Leech; there is no one as screwed up as you.”

“Thank you for that invaluable insight, Iero.”

“Please put one vial of your project on my desk then clean your area,” Reid instructs the class. Before Iero can say a thing, I pour the chemical reaction into one vial, and have Keegan put it on Reid’s desk for me. “That’s the epitome of lazy.” Malfoy gestures to the vial, I shrug, and begin clearing away. 

“Well have fun in the library,” Iero calls over his shoulder as he slings his bag up onto it and walks out of the classroom behind Peter and Keegan. The nerds are still trying to scrape together a vial worth of chemicals, and the thuggish looking boy is awkwardly offering to carry the shy girl’s bag. 

Grabbing some more text books from my locker, I begin to walk towards the library and get there before any of the other students.


	3. Chapter Three

The library is peaceful as I roam the aisles, trying to find an advanced Chemistry book that Mr. Reid had suggested. It is three weeks into the term and I am already ahead in Chemistry. Reid suggests that Iero and I try some experiments that aren’t actually a requirement, but will test our capabilities. It appears that Frank has become my permanent Chemistry partner. 

A small cough behind me alerts me to the presence of a tall but slutty looking girl with an insane amount of makeup on her otherwise plain face. “Cam Donahue?” she asks and I nod. “You’re the one who always get together with Frank when he has girlfriends, right?” I shrug slightly. “Well, he’s my boyfriend now and everything was going great until a few days ago when he seemed off. Has he been cheating on me with you?”

“No.”

“Do you think he would?”

“I could try,” I say, pulling the Chemistry book I was looking for off the shelf and wiping the dust off the cover. 

“Excuse me?”

“I could try to get him to kiss me. Then you’ll know if he really is loyal to you or not. Believe me, if he is going to cheat on you with somebody, it’ll be me,” I explain as I flip through the book.

“I don’t need you to come onto my boyfriend! And besides, he would never cheat on me. He loves me.”

“If you’re so sure then it wouldn’t matter if I came onto him; he wouldn’t kiss me anyway,” I reply. She frowns, her face contorting into what I can only assume is her thinking expression. 

“I suppose,” she mutters.

“If he isn’t loyal to you, wouldn’t you rather just know than be strung along?”

“I guess.”

“So really, it only makes sense that you want my help.” I smile, lulling her into the false impression that it was her idea to begin with. 

“Yeah…that makes sense…You could try and get him to cheat on me, and if he does, which he won’t, then I can just dump him. But if he doesn’t then I know he really loves me.”

“It will cost you twenty dollars.”

“What?” 

“Twenty dollars.”

“You want me to pay you?” she asks, aghast that anyone would want money for the chance to kiss Frank Iero. I nod. “How about ten?” I shake my head, “Fifteen?” I start walking down the aisle, running my finger over the spines of the books on the shelf as I do so. “Fine! Twenty!” she snaps. “But I want to see it, to make sure you aren’t making stuff up,” she sneers, afraid that I’ll try and break her and her precious Frankie up for my own personal gain. 

“Tomorrow just before lunch, the little hallway to the side of the cafeteria,” I instruct before slamming the book I was thumbing through shut. It was a standard meeting spot.

It was Frank Iero. Easy. I’ve been waiting for his first girlfriend to come running to me. 

__________________________________________________________________________

Returning to my study table I see a brunette sitting in one of the empty seats tapping the table with a pencil. “Melissa.” She looks up and smiles as I sit down. 

“Hey Cam.” She sighs, putting down her pencil. I nod in greeting. “So, I’ve been wondering when you were going to help me with Victor,” she explains bluntly.

“I’m just laying down some ground work,” I reply automatically.

“Ground work?”

“Melissa, I haven’t talked to the guy in three years; me waltzing up and trying to kiss him will not go over well. Besides, in my rather broad experience with the opposite sex, I have come to realize that some guys take longer to work than others.” I have to make them notice me before I throw myself at them, make them curious, make them think I am interested, get into their head so they cannot help but be fascinated with me. I have to make them think they have a chance with me, even though they are the taken one. Other guys like Iero and Will just need a suggestive smile and they’re mine.”

Melissa doesn’t say anything, but I can tell she wants to. She eventually opens up her mouth and asks, “You will help me, won’t you? I know you have history with Victor, it’s just that I really like him…I need to know if he likes me as much.” 

“Yes, Melissa, I will help you.” I smile slightly to comfort her. “You have to remember though that I won’t be held responsible for what happens. I don’t know what Victor will do. Be prepared for the worst, if you aren’t then don’t ask for my help,” I explain as I begin making notes on an experiment I’d like to try. She nods, clearly worried.

__________________________________________________________________________

As I’m walking through the hallways I flash a smile at Victor; he almost walks into Melissa in surprise. I can faintly hear Melissa asking him what is wrong, but oddly enough he is too busy sneaking glances at me to notice. As Melissa gets some books from her locker, Victor walks over to me. Oh, the things a smile can do. The people that smile too much never quite realize the potential of what they could do with that smile because it becomes a common thing to behold. Those who rarely smile can truly appreciate the wonders of a smile. I, am one of the latter.

“So, Cam, I haven’t seen you around much lately. What have you been up to?”

“Studying for exams.” He looks slightly surprised.

“Right, exams, yeah,” he mutters. One smile and he is a stuttering wreck. I should try this approach more often, it’s very amusing. Melissa looks over at us and smiles at Victor, but he doesn’t notice because he is too busy watching me. She frowns and turns to Dave, her locker neighbour, flicking her hair over her shoulder and batting her eyelashes at him.

As I walk to my next class, I contemplate that thought. Something about that does not seem right, and I am determined to get to the bottom of it. 

__________________________________________________________________________

Lunch finds me waiting for Iero’s slutty girlfriend in the hallway leading to the lunchroom. “Have you got the money?” I ask bluntly as the girl finally sashays around the corner. Her bottom lip turns up in disgust as she hands me the money. Knowing we still have some time, I count the money to make sure it is all there. “You’re missing five dollars.” She glares at me but when I make no move for a deal she grudgingly reaches into her pocket and hands me the other five dollars. “Good, now, go stand over there around that corner.” I point to the corner a little way down the hallway. She turns her nose up and gives me one last glare before frolicking over to where I had pointed. 

At times, I seriously question Iero’s taste in girls. It seems to have steadily gotten worse over the years. I mean, really…she actually frolicked. 

After a few minutes, someone speaks. 

“Good morning, Leech,” mumbles a deep and unsettlingly familiar voice. “Are you lost? Or, are you perhaps waiting for me?” he purrs, stepping into the side corridor where I am leaning against the wall.

“Obviously the latter, Iero.” I shoot him a fake sickeningly sweet smile. He smirks and steps closer. 

“Still haven’t gotten over your obsession with me then? I was wondering when you were going to come find me. You must have missed me terribly over the summer…” He is now standing so close that we are almost touching. “I don’t suppose you’ve heard that I have a girlfriend now, have you?” 

“And when has that ever stopped you before?” I whisper in his ear, sliding my hands up his chest. Seducing Iero is becoming far too easy, it’s almost as if he wants to get caught. 

“My, my, little Leech,” he sniggers, “Being a bit forward aren’t we?” I smirk up at him and he rests a hand on the wall by my head while the other comes up to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. “You never change do you?”

“Why are you still talking?” I mutter, making him laugh slightly before bringing his lips to meet mine. He kisses me gently and I let my mind go blank. Kissing boys is my job. The hand he used to move the strand of hair tangles in the dyed red hair at the back of my head to fasten my face to his as his tongue slips out to trace the curve of my bottom lip. I normally do not need to go as far as tongues but Iero’s girlfriend must be in shock because she hasn’t said anything yet. Opening my mouth I allow his tongue entry. 

Although I would never admit it to him (or to anyone else for that matter) out of all the boys I have kissed - and there have been quite a few - Iero is definitely the best kisser. He has a way of making you want just a little bit more each time he changes the tone of the kiss. Most guys don’t have a lip ring either, so that makes the kisses stand out. As much as I don’t like the guy, his kissing makes up for the amount of time I’ve had to spend in his company. 

Finally, his girlfriend breaks her silence.

“You fucking asshole!” she screeches. “You said you hated her! You said you wouldn’t go near her and that she was just your plaything and that you didn’t need her now that you had me! How could you do this to me, Frankie! How could you do this to us! We’re perfect for eachother! How could you ruin everything for a kiss from that slut?” 

Seemingly reluctantly, Iero pulls away from our kiss, leaving us both a little short of breath. He rests his forehead against mine and looks me directly in the eye. He gives me a look that suggests he knew he was going to get caught. I will never understand his twisted mind. Ever. 

“Hello, Clarrisse,” he sighs, turning away from me. I simply pick up my bag, sling it over my shoulder and walk off while Iero stands there, listening to slutty Clarrisse’s rant. That was an easy twenty dollars, and I would bet all of it that he’d have another girlfriend by the end of the week. That is, if I had anyone to bet with. 

__________________________________________________________________________

Walking into the library after class I throw my bag on a table and apparently I threw it too hard because it flies off. “Fuck-” they jerk up as my bag lands on them. “Cam, you scared the shit out of me!” 

“Sorry, I didn’t see you,” I say, retrieving the bag and walking around to the other side of the table. “What are you doing sitting on the floor by my table, anyway?”

“Waiting for you,” Victor murmurs, “I know you always come here after school.” I keep my gaze fixed onto the table. Something is definately off. “I just wanted to catch up with you. It seems like we haven’t talked in ages.” He shrugs and I can tell he is faking nonchalance. 

“We talked this morning, before lunch.” I frown.

“Not really, I just wanted to see how you were… You seem kind of distant.”

“I am the same as I always have been,” I lie. Lying has become way too easy for me. 

“No, you’re not, Cam! You used to love life, and now it seems like you just endure it. What happened to the Cam I knew? To the Cam I… I, loved.” 

I look up from the table just in time to see him lower his head and mutter those last words.

“She never really existed,” I reply coldly before getting up and grabbing my bag. Never, in those three months I was with him did he ever tell me he loved me. So why would he decide to tell me now? After three years. Especially, when he is dating my sister… Something is positively not right. And I do not want to be part of any game Victor is playing. With me or my sister. 

“Cam,” he protests as I walk away from him. “Damn it, Cam,” he says, more to himself than me, as I walk away from the table and head for the library doors. Well, that may have put a dent in my plans to seduce him for Melissa. Why did I agree to that again?

 

__________________________________________________________________________

I get home a lot earlier than usual tonight, but after my run in with Victor at the library I came straight home. I went straight up to Melissa and I’s shared room. 

“Cam?”

“Melissa?”

“You’re early,” she mumbles from her bed.

“I’m tired,” I reply dully as I make my way to the bathroom. 

“Did you see Victor at all after this morning, today?” she whispers. I hesitate only a moment before replying.

“No.”


	4. Chapter Four

I am jolted awake by someone prodding me in the side. I am not one to allow people into my personal space (unless it’s for business purposes of course). I immediately slip my hand underneath my pillow and grab my scissors, pointing at the soft bit of skin underneath the person’s jawbone. 

“Holy shit, Cam.” They jump, their eyes wide like saucers, “It’s just me.” 

“Melissa. You should know better than to wake me like that,” I snarl.

“And you should know better than to sleep this late when we have practice,” she hisses in reply. Damn. I had forgotten we had practice today. “Come on, or we’ll be later than we already are,” she orders, before she struts out of our bedroom. After changing and brushing my teeth, I sling my bag onto my shoulder and follow her out of the room at a much more leisurely pace.   
__________________________________________________________________________

By the time I get to school and to the changing rooms, Melissa is fuming; me being late had made her late for practice as well. I change and walk outside to the field. “How come you’re late?” Victor whispers to me, as I come to stand in the crowd waiting in front of the teacher. 

“Forgot we had practice.” I shrug as the coach hurls a dodgeball at us. Victor shrugs and Melissa shoots a look at us. Well she shoots me a look, before dreamily gazing at Victor. 

“Now that we are finally all here,” the coach glares in my direction, “I want to go over the track team rules, I have a few new ones too, so pay attention. Rule number one: anything that has happened, is happening, or might happen outside the track stays outside the track. Nothing matters here except for track. Rule number two: you will turn up to practice on time and with the right footwear. I will not tolerate lateness and if I feel you are not giving your all to this team, I will replace you. Rule number three: before every competition or meet, you will eat a full meal the night before and go to bed early and eat a decent breakfast the next morning. I don’t care how sick you feel, I will not have my team throwing up because they were too nervous to eat. Clear?” 

“Rule four: if you are struggling with balancing schoolwork and track come and see either me or a member of the team. Hopefully we’ll find someone to help you and if we can’t then we might have to let you go, so please try and stay on top of it all. Rule five: you will never under pain of death reveal any of our tactics or plans to another team, and I strongly suggest you do not tell anyone off of the team because if they tell, I will hold you responsible and you will be off of the team.” 

“Now, for the new rules. Rule six: if you decide to quit the team for whatever absurd reason, you will notify me at least a month before the next meet. A month is a poor time to train a new runner but it will have to do. If you notify in under a month you will be expected to play the next game and you can quit after. Understood? And lastly rule seven: there will be no dating between team members. I would prefer it if you did not date a member of a different track team either, to prevent tensions from arising that are not due to the actual competition. Savvy?” Coach was looking at the team who were all staring at him blankly, except Melissa who looks shocked and pale, and Keegan who is staring at his toes and pulling at the bottom of his jersey. Well, this just got more interesting. 

“Does everyone understand?” Coach yells. Everyone, but me of course, jumps slightly before nodding, some a little less enthusiastically than others. Melissa looks on the verge of tears but Victor doesn’t even glance at her. Instead he looks at me. I stubbornly stare ahead of me. “Good, now, start running!” Coach roars. Apparently, my lateness has put him into a rather foul mood. 

To add to the disaster that is this practice, the heavens decide now is the perfect time to release all the rain they’ve been holding this past week. We are drenched within seconds but Coach doesn’t bat an eyelash as he gives us spots on the track and tells us to run seven laps. He himself, stays in the middle, watching us. If no one gets injured by the end of this, I’ll be truly impressed. As I run closer to the stadium seats to try and avoid the heavy rain, I see an oddly shaped form sitting in the first row of the stands. I race around once again, and when I get back to where I had spotted it, I slow down and turn to look into the stands, squinting my eyes against the rain. I think it’s a person. What kind of insane person is willingly comes out in this weather to watch a track practice? Unfortunately, the person behind me doesn’t see me stop through the veil of rain and rams straight into me, sending me flying into the stands beside the figure. I come crashing down to the floor, knocking over several benches. The person who ran into me is sent off balance and crashes against the stands a little ways down.

Brilliant. I think I’ve broken my back. Groaning, I try to stand up but a hand is immediately on my shoulder, pushing me back down to the floor. 

“Don’t move, you might make it worse,” a vaguely familiar voice calls through the racket of the rain. I stop protesting and relax into the wooden floorboards. I knew someone would get hurt in this weather, I didn’t think it would be me though. The hand that was on my shoulder moves to push a few benches out of the way. “Where does it hurt?” he asks.

“Uh, everywhere?” I snort. They chuckle lightly and I can feel their name on the tip of my tongue. I think I have a concussion. “My back mainly. I haven’t broken any limbs at least.” I go to shrug, but stop when a searing pain darts down my back. “And this fucking rain isn’t helping.” 

“Sorry, I can’t change the weather,” they say and I detect a smirk in their voice. Oh, for fucks sake. “Come on Leech, I don’t think anything is broken but I suggest you go the nurse, to make sure. I think it’ll be fine if you try to stand now.” The figure stands themselves, before offering me a hand to help me up. I take it, not sure if I can stand on my own. 

As he helps me up, his hood falls back to reveal his black hair and he smirks again when I lean heavily on his arm. I hate being helpless. I hate being weak. 

“Cam?” a voice shouts from a few metres away. I can barely make out their figure through the rain. “Cam, I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you. Why’d you stop? Are you okay? I’m so-”

“Sorry? You said,” Iero snorts. 

“Iero?” Victor stops trying to climb over the benches in surprise. “What are you doing here?” His voice is strained and hostile. 

“No doubt he was here spying.” I sigh, “Would you mind having this little catch-up later? I need to go and see the nurse.” 

“Cam, I’m really, really sorry,” Victor repeats, resuming his attempts to climb up to where me and Iero are standing. 

“You can grovel at her feet later, Jareau, now I’m taking her to the nurse,” Iero snarls and I can sense his eyes narrowing on Victor. 

“What do you mean; you are taking her to the nurse? You think I would trust her with you?” Victor sneers in disgust. I had no idea he hated Iero so much. 

“And you think you should be trusted with her after what you did?” Iero retorts, his voice filled with rage. Apparently, the hatred is mutual. 

“For fucks sake!” I snap. “Victor, you’re not staying here, Coach will already be pissed that one team member is missing, and quite frankly if I had to choose between you and Iero, I’d choose him. Iero’s going to take me to the nurse, it will stop him spying at any rate. I am also perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Now can we please get a move on before I fucking pass out!”

“Cam, really, I’ll deal with Coach later. You’re not going with him.” Victor spits out the last word like Iero is something contagious. Victor is really starting to irritate me immensely at this point.

“Jareau, do us all a favour and piss off. Can’t you tell when you’re not wanted?” Iero sneers before turning around and slinging my right arm over his shoulder while slipping his left arm around my waist to keep me steady. Victor makes a disgusted noise and mutters something, unpleasant no doubt, under his breath. “Ready, Leech?” Iero asks before slowly helping me down the steps and across the field to the school. Admittedly, we got a few odd looks from the passing students but otherwise we made it to the nurse’s office in peace. 

The nurse fusses over me as soon as Iero sets me down on the bed. As she instructs me to lie down, I notice Iero doesn’t leave, partially concealed by shadows, over by the door. 

“Iero?” I ask, looking in his direction.

He looks up at my face. “Yes, Leech?”

“What were you doing watching our practice? Especially in that weather?”

He smirks slightly before answering, “I like watching you run.”

I cock my head to the side in bewilderment; he snickers. “You have a very nice, chest.” 

I narrow my eyes at him, “Is my chest the only nice thing about me?” The nurse has at this point stopped looking me over and is watching our exchange intently. 

Iero looks a bit shocked but continues anyway. “No, you also have a very nice ass.” He smirks at me, “What about me? How do I look?”

I look him over, smiling appreciatively. “Pretty good. You could work out a little more though.” “I better not hear about you getting yourself pregnant, Miss Donahue. If need be we do have condoms here in the office. Did you hear what I said, Mr. Iero?” I turn to Iero wide-eyed and see that he looks paler than usual. Then without even acknowledging either me or the nurse, he pushes up off the wall and hurries out of the room as if I had told him I was pregnant. The irony.  
__________________________________________________________________________

My eyes flutter open as the clock on the wall ticks to two in the afternoon. The white sheets immediately inform me that I am in the hospital wing. On the desk by my bed is a pain numbing pill and my phone, which reads that I have several text messages. I reach for the pill first. 

When I have taken the pill, only then do I reach for my phone. There is one from my parents. One from my sister and one from someone whose name I recognize but am slightly surprised to see. Ignoring the ones from my family, I tap the last one and start reading it.

‘Dear Cam,’ it begins, ‘I hear you’ve had a track accident; don’t worry I’ve already sent your coach a nasty email for making you practice in the rain. I hope your injuries aren’t too bad, Charlie only mentioned it briefly when he last texted me, but I am sure that the nurse is taking wonderful care of you. How are you at the moment outside of the injuries? I’m sure you’re busy studying for exams and track but I haven’t heard from you in quite a while and I just want to make sure you’re okay? I hope to see you during the Christmas holidays, mother is desperate for me to spend the Christmas holidays back in Jersey but I haven’t decided yet. I will definitely be back for a couple days though and we must meet up as I have some news I would like you to hear before the rest of the family. Don’t worry; I’m not pregnant! Anyway, I look forward to hearing from you and do let me know if anything interesting happens in your life. I promise I shall not breathe a single word, I do live in England after all, there is no one to question me here. Hope you get well soon, my dear. Much love, Amy.

Setting my phone down, I resist the urge to sigh. I’ll have to write back to her, there are few people I get along with in the world and after moving to England three years ago Amy has become one of them. I am happy that she sent Coach a nasty email though. Picking up my phone, I go to check my other text messages, but before I can tap one of the messages, the door opens and a figure in a gray shirt and purple sweater enters the room. 

“Cam.” Victor stares, clearly surprised to see me awake. “I just came to see how you were doing.” He tries to act casual but the way he wrings his hand betrays some discomfort. 

“I’m fine, thank you,” I mutter coldly. 

“Look, Cam, I really am sorry about what happened, I didn’t see you through the rain and I wasn’t expecting you to slow down…and I’m really sorry I let that Iero creep bring you here, it should have been me, it was my fault and-” 

“It really doesn’t matter,” I cut him off.

“Still, I feel really bad and I truly am so-”

“Sorry? Yes, I get it. Do you know what really pisses me off? People who constantly apologize over and over again. I mean, honestly, once is enough. So please, just stop apologizing.” 

“Sorry.” I give him a cold look. “I just…” he mutters sheepishly, and stares at his feet. 

“It’s fine. I am not permanently or seriously injured. Now, will you please leave?”

“Right…yeah…well… I’ll just be going then,” Victor mumbles. He makes to leave and reaches the doors before turning to look over his shoulder at me. “I don’t know if you heard, but, your cousin from England sent Coach a nasty email for making us practice in the rain. Coach almost exploded, it was hysterical. Not going to lie though, I keep thinking she’s going to send me one too.” He gives a half laugh before disappearing out of the infirmary and leaving me alone once again. 

The nurse does not let me go for the rest of the day. By the time lessons have finished, I am practically squirming with irritation. I hate being trapped in this room. It is filled with memories I would prefer not to be reminded of. I have come to find that memories are often more painful than the actual event you remember because of everything you associate with that event that you were unaware while said event was happening. As I mull over these thoughts in my head, the door opens and another figure enters, heading for my bed. 

“Good afternoon, Leech,” murmurs the husky voice of Frank Iero. 

“Iero.” I nod, slightly surprised he is here. “What can I do for you?”

“You weren’t in Chemistry, so I thought I would deliver the work to you seeing as you are my Chemistry partner. We were just recapping some grade eleven experiments and solutions but Mr. Reid said you would be interested in some more advanced ones. He gave me this book for you.” Iero reaches into his bag and pulls out a worn and seemingly old book. As he hands the book to me, I cannot help but be slightly surprised when his fingers brush lightly against mine before he lets go. 

“Thank you,” I mutter. To my astonishment Iero proceeds to take the seat beside my bed and rests his feet on the sheets. However, the book in my hands quickly pulls my attention away from Iero. It is indeed an extremely old textbook. So old, I think I might have to translate some of the instructions from their original old English before attempting any of the experiments and solutions from the book. 

“He thinks you will particularly like the solution on page seventy-two and that you are more than welcome to use his lab after lessons if you wish. Although he said it would probably be best to have someone else with you should your solution go wrong,” Iero adds with a frown. “Although I cannot imagine you getting any experiment or solution wrong,” he mutters. Before I can answer, however, the door slams open. 

“What the fuck are you doing here, Iero?” the new arrival hisses. 

“Jareau, come to do some more damage, have you?” Iero sneers, his lip curling in disgust as Victor comes towards us. “Was landing her in the infirmary not enough? Decided to come break her some more, have you?” Iero continues, standing up to face Victor. I watch in amusement before the full meaning of Iero’s words sink in. Break her. Iero thinks I’m broken. And he thinks it’s Victor’s fault. Surely…surely, he doesn’t know?

Besides, I’m not broken. I’m merely bruised from the fall. 

“Piss off, Iero. No one asked you to be her protector,” Victor sneers, stepping closer to Iero. Oh dear lord, this might not end well. “Besides, you have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

“Oh, don’t I? So if I were to ask you if you knew who Violet Morrish was, you would have no idea whom I was talking about?” Iero’s voice is dangerously low. I can barely make out what he is saying. Victor’s face pales considerably and he whispers something so I cannot hear. Iero just smirks and whispers something back before pulling away and sitting back down on my bed. “You are not wanted here, Jareau.” He waves his hand absently as if in dismissal. Victor narrows his eyes in rage but manages to refrain from lashing out at Iero. Instead, he throws a couple of (now slightly crumpled) letters onto my bed before storming out and slamming the door behind him. 

Iero pulls out a book and begins to read while I pick up the letters and read them. There is a short one from Coach, apologising for making us practice in the rain and informing me when our next practice was. There is one from Melissa telling me she will come and see me after she visits the library and one from Victor. I read the first ‘I’m sorry’ and toss the letter aside. 

“Who’s it from?” Iero asks without even looking up from his book.

“Victor,” I sigh. 

“Something wrong?” he queries. I can tell he is trying to keep his face passive but his smirk still manages to shine through. 

“He won’t stop apologising.” We fall into silence for a while, during which I become increasingly agitated. “Why are you here?” I asked eventually.

“Oh don’t lie, you like my company.” 

I glare at him. “Isn’t it because you like to eat later than everybody else?”

He looks slightly surprised, “That’s part of it.” I find it slightly disturbing that I know he likes to eat later than everybody else. 

“Right.” More silence.

“Cam?”

“I think I’m going to go eat now.” Iero closes his book and puts it in his bag. Just as he is about to walk out the door, I call him back.

“Iero?”

He walks over, with a curious expression painted on his face.

“You’re right. I do like your company.”

He smirks and then quickly leans down and kisses me on the forehead. He pulls away just as Melissa comes over. She eyes Iero with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. As he leaves she takes the vacated seat beside my bed. 

“What was Iero doing here?” Melissa asks with a suspicious eye. 

“I have no idea.” I shrug.

She frowns. “Why did he just kiss you?”

“I have no idea.” 

“Odd...” She looks at me for a few moments, then abruptly says, “I have your homework from Math and English but you’ll have to get the rest from your other teachers.” She hands me a couple sheets with written work on them.

“So…” Melissa starts. “Coach is pissed.”


	5. Chapter Five

It took two days for the nurse to actually realize that the only damage my back had acquired was a little bruising. When she finally let me out of that miserable hospital room, I made my way directly to the library and was heading towards my table when someone lightly tapped my shoulder. Turning with a frown already in place, I am shocked to find my little brother. Well, I can’t exactly call him ‘little’ anymore, seeing as he is taller than me. 

“Charlie?” I ask hesitantly. Charlie rarely acknowledges me while we are in school. In fact, Charlie rarely acknowledges me at all. 

“Cam,” he nods, his voice as low as possible with me still actually being able to hear it. I know he is trying not to attract any more attention than we are already receiving. “I need a word,” he mutters before walking out of the library and into the hall. I have half a mind to just let him walk off on his own but curiosity gets the better of me, and I follow him out, if somewhat reluctantly. 

“Spill,” I demand once Charlie has finally stopped and turned to face me. We are now in a dark and narrow corridor that, had I not been well acquainted with unknown corridors I would not have known. 

“What’s going on between you and Iero?” Charlie asks bluntly. He never was one for tact. 

“Nothing,” I reply honestly. 

“Bullshit.”

“Truth.”

“Don’t lie to me, Cam.”

“I’’m not.”

“Yes you are.”

“What makes you think that?” After a silence he finally answers.

“I know you, Cam.”

I snort in derision. “Hardly.” 

Charlie may be my brother but that doesn’t mean he knows me. He knows nothing about me. No one really knows me. 

“Come on, Cammie.” He changes his tone and it almost sounds like he is whining. I cannot stand whining. 

“Don’t call me Cammie,” I snarl. 

“Just tell me…It’s not like I’m going to tell anyone.”

“Nothing is going on between me and Iero. Now if that is all you had to say, then I have better things to be doing,” I snap. Charlie averts his gaze and shifts awkwardly. “There is something else isn’t there?” 

“Um… Maybe?”

“Either there is or there isn’t and I’m losing my patience, Charlie.” 

“Look, you’re going to think I’m mental,” he huffs, looking somewhat embarrassed. And believe me, with Charlie, that is exceedingly uncommon. 

“Just spit it out.”

“You know Brooke Aiden?”

“I know everyone.”

“You know her boyfriend?”

“James Hatty.”

“Yeah...”

“Where is this going, Charlie?”

“I fancy her.”

“Aiden?”

“Brooke!”

“Yes, Brooke Aiden.” 

“Right, yeah.”

“This is all very sweet Charlie but why are you telling me this?”  
“Well I know you don’t give a shit about your reputation…” Charlie shifts his eyes uncomfortably. I remember when I kissed Iero in the foyer after catching Victor with that girl… Charlie had given Iero a black eye for three consecutive weeks. He had never been a fan of my reputation as a heinous bitch and boyfriend stealer. But I had never really cared about his opinion. 

“And?”

“I was wondering if maybe you could, I don’t know…find a way to break them up?” he mutters so quietly I can barely hear him. 

“You want me to kiss James Hatty?” I snort with a raised eyebrow. An embarrassed and uncomfortable Charlie was an amusing sight. 

“Well... Yeah? I mean, it’s a possibility.” 

“No.”

“What?”

“No,” I repeat.

“Oh.”

“Charlie, I may not be an expert on the workings of the female ride but if you get me to do this, you will hurt Brooke and just end up being some form of rebound figure.”

“Oh.”

“So unless you understand that, I won’t do it,” I shrug. Normally, I would have accepted the offer but at the end of the day this was Charlie. He’s my brother. I may not particularly like him, or even get along with him, but that does not mean I am willing to allow him to get hurt.

“What if I am cool with being a rebound figure?”

“Then I have greatly underestimated your intelligence.” 

“Look, I just fancy her. It’s not like I want to marry her, I just want to sleep with her. And she won’t sleep with me if she’s still with him so I need them to break up.” Oh god. Charlie, my own brother wants me to break up a potentially happy couple, breaking the girls heart so he can sleep with her? This world is slowly becoming more ludacris. 

“You’ll have to pay me.”  
“What?”

“Twenty dollars. In advance.” 

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Do I sound like I’m kidding?” 

“Cammie…” he whines.

“Twenty-five. Twenty-five dollars. And every time you call me ‘Cammie’ I’ll add another five.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Twenty-five dollars, and you have a deal.”

“But what if you can’t do it?”

“I’ll be able to do it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“Fine,” he huffs again, looking thoroughly disgruntled. I hold my hand out palm up. “What?”

“Twenty-five dollars, please.”

“This is ridiculous,” he grumbles, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a hand full of bills. If I did not know Charlie I would be rather surprised to see he carries around so much money in his pocket, especially at school. “Here’s fifteen, you can have the rest afterwards.” My hand stays where it is. He looks at me, disgusted, before handing over the other ten. 

“Bye, Charlie,” I say before disappearing back down the corridor, leaving Charlie looking perplexed and a little annoyed.   
__________________________________________________________________________

The girls study hall has not changed at all in the last four years I have been here. Do not ask me why there are separate change rooms for the boys and girls because I do not know. The walls are still covered in the same faded wallpaper, the lockers are still the same crimson red, and the carpets have still managed to retain their softness no matter the feet have trodden on it over the years. The window on the right looks over the lake while the window on the left looks over the football field and track. I prefer the window on the right while most of the other girls prefer the window on the left. Melissa included.

For this precise reason, I am currently sitting on the window ledge on the right while the other girls are pressed up against the cold windowpanes on the left. 

“God, that boy has one fine looking ass,” one of the brainless sluts comments.

“Pass the binoculars, Lucy,” another mindless moron whines. “I want a go!”

“Bianka, you had them a second ago, it’s my turn,” the third soul sucking dumbass wails. 

“I think it’s my turn anyway, afterall, it’s my boyfriend on the field,” comes the unquestionably stupid voice of my sister. 

“What?” chorus the three girls.

“You have a boyfriend, Mel?” one of them asks in awe. 

“Fuck,” Melissa curses. “We were going to keep it a secret, you mustn’t tell anyone! He’ll be pissed if he knew I told you!” 

“We won’t tell anyone, promise,” another one of the stupid harpies whines.

“Who is it, Mel?” the third one squeals. Oh, dear god. 

“Sh! Martha! People might hear you!” Melissa hisses. 

“You are aware that the study halls are sound proofed to stop people eavesdropping on private conversations, and for studying benefits, aren’t you, Melissa?” I ask without even looking up from my sketch pad where a half formed drawing of the lake is waiting to be completed and added to my collection. Melissa looks over at me in surprise clearly unaware that I am even here. 

“Really?” Bianka looks dumbfounded. Something not entirely uncommon. 

“No, I’m lying.” I roll my eyes. “Yes, Bianka, really.” 

“Huh?”

“Don’t worry, Bee,” the sanest of the lot rolls her eyes. “She’s just being her usual sarcastic self.”

“I shall take that as a compliment, Bethan,” I sneer back.

“For the last time, it’s Beth.” 

“Whatever.” 

“Hold on, are the rooms actually soundproof?” Bianka asks still looking thoroughly confused. 

“Yes, Bee,” Bethan sighs. “They were installed in grade nine when some people,” she shoots a glare in my direction, “thought it would be funny to eavesdrop on peoples’ conversations and then write the things they said on the schools notice board.” 

“Oh.” 

“Anyway,” Lucy perks up. “Back to the point: Who is he Melissa?” 

“It’s not Tom Harding, is it? I mean he has a fine body but he’s dumb as shit,” Bethan remarks. I cannot help but feel she shares that same trait with the aforementioned ‘shit’. 

“No, no,” Melissa flaps like a fish stranded on dry land. 

“So who is it?” Bianka squeals again. “Is it Peter? He’s pretty hot,” she muses. I stare at her in horror. How is it possible to actually be that stupid? 

“Ew! Bianka! Peter is my cousin!” Melissa shouts, chucking a textbook at the worthless human being. 

“Really? That’s so cool!” Bianka looks at Melissa with awe in her huge blue eyes.

“Bee, you knew that already,” Bathan sighs in exasperation. 

“I did?” 

“Is it Mark?” Lucy asks with a gleam in her eyes. “Mark is definitely a catch.” 

“Mark is smarter than I am,” I state. “He would never be stupid enough to try and keep a relationship secret.”

“Do you know who it is, then?” Bethan asks with a sneer while Melissa glares at me.  
“Yes,” I reply, causing the three girls to look somewhat shocked. 

“You told her before you told me!” Lucy looks genuinely upset, Melissa glares at me again.

“It’s Victor, isn’t it?” Bethan smirks. It was more of a statement than a question, as if she already knew the answer. She looks almost triumphant as she smirks at me. It is almost as if she thinks her words will hurt me. She is wrong of course. 

“Oh, god,” Lucy breathes. “It is, isn’t it?” She laughs as Melissa buries her face into her arms. “Fucking hell, Mel! Why didn’t you tell me? You’ve fancied him for years!” Oh. Had she know? Bethan’s smirk grows wider. She probably just hates me because her boyfriend paid me to kiss her so he could get rid of her. Except, she doesn’t know he paid me. 

“Where are you going Cam?” she sneers as I get up and head to the door. I cannot help how I reply. 

“Meeting Leo for a quickie,” I reply casually before striding out the door, leaving Bethan looking thoroughly pissed off. Leo is her ex-boyfriend that paid me to kiss him. 

Needless to say, I am not actually going to meet Leo. My destination is far more interesting than one of Peter’s old friends. Wandering down the corridors, I let my mind drift to things that I needed to sort out. To begin with, I still had to deal with Victor as Melissa had taken to pestering me about it whenever we are alone. Then, I have to deal with Charlie’s somewhat bizarre request and I need to talk to Reid about using his classroom after lessons are over.

“Leech?” someone asks in surprise as I turn around a corner only to come face to face with someone’s chest. “What are you doing here? Come to prey on poor souls have you?” he sneers, regaining his composure. 

“No,” is my blunt reply.

“Then what? Take a wrong turn?” His sneer widens covering his face, distorting his usually placid features. 

“No.”

“Just piss off,” he snaps, clearly angry, although I suspect the anger isn’t actually intended for me. Which is unusual. 

“Uh, no.”

“What the fuck do you want then?” Iero practically shouts, glowering at me.

“To get past you…” I reply as if it were obvious. Which it kind of is as he is standing in the middle of the corridor. 

“Oh,” he mutters taken aback. 

“Yeah.”

“So, you weren’t looking for me?” he frowns.

“Why would I be looking for you?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugs, lowering his gaze from mine. 

“Then why did you ask?”

“I don’t know,” he repeats.

“Are you going to let me past?”

“Right…yeah.” Iero steps aside to let me through. His expression has changed from surprise to disgust to anger to distant, as if his thoughts were far away. I’m not really sure why I stop, or why I turn back to see him still standing there, facing the opposite wall, but I do.

“Are you okay?” I ask. He stands frozen for a while before slowly turning his towards me with a look of complete shock. Apparently, I do not ask people how they are feeling enough.

“Are you?” he retorts. 

“What has that got to do with anything?” 

“Well there must be something wrong if you are willingly trying to engage in a conversation with me,” he snorts. I turn back around and continue down the corridor without responding. It does not take long before I hear footsteps behind me and Iero appears by my side, frowning. “I’m sorry, I’m just in a foul mood,” he sighs. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you.” 

I simply nod and we walk in silence for a little while. 

“Where are you actually going then?” he asks at last.

“To the kitchens.”

“The kitchens?”

“Yes, the place where they make food.” 

“I know what a kitchen is!”

Silence.

“How do you know where the kitchen is?” 

“Really Iero, I would’ve thought you had learned by now. I know everything.” I smirk. 

“Are you coming in or are you just going to stand there?” I snap.

“I…Do you mind?” 

“Mind what?” 

“If I come in.”

“Why would I mind?” 

“You just…well, you’re not really a people person.” He shrugs but steps into the warm kitchen anyway. One of the many workers rushes over to welcome us and guides us to one of the many tables. 

“So this is where you disappear off to then?” Iero breathes, looking around the kitchen. “People are going to be very disappointed, they think you are part of some soul sucking cult,” he comments as if it was a perfectly normal thing to say. 

“And why would they be disappointed? It’s not like anyone is going to tell them, is it?” I narrow my eyes at him threateningly and he has the audacity to chuckle. 

“Of course not,” he smirks. 

“Besides this is not the only place I disappear to.” I shrug, not entirely sure why I am continuing this conversation. 

“Where else do you go?”

“The forest behind the school, the far side of the lake, the library, the alcove on the fourth floor hidden behind the statue of a dying woman…” I shrug. Only after the words are out of my mouth I realize I have given Iero the ability to find me when previously no one else would be able to. The thought is somehow not as daunting as I would have expected. 

“You know that statue is of Hillary Hitler?” Iero ponders. “She was Adolf Hitler’s only daughter and legend has it, she fell in love with a Jew. When her father found out, he forbade her from seeing him…” 

“Did she obey him?” I ask, curious about the woman whose statue I had spent hours gazing at. 

“No,” Iero snorts. “She met him in secret that same night and they made plans to elope. Of course, they were unaware that Hillary’s twin brother, Harry had witnessed their plans and, when Hillary returned to their house to pack her things, he revealed his presence to the Jew and killed him. Without a word. Just one shot…” Iero trails off. I realize I have leant towards him, enraptured in his words. 

“What happened?” I breathe. 

“Hillary returned to find her lovers body, stone cold. She knew it was her family that had done this and, destroyed by grief, she took her lovers hunting knife and plunged it into her own heart so that she fell beside her lovers body.”

“Rumour says, that Hitler never recovered from her death… That he blamed himself… It was said that with her death, died his last slithers of humanity. That as he buried his daughter in the clearing where she fell with her lover at her side, he also buried the last fragments of his past. The last fragments of the man he’d once been…” Iero’s eyes are fixed on the fire in much the same way that mine are fixed on his face.

Stories had always been my weakness. And Iero could tell a story beautifully. We sat in distant silence, his mind in places I will never know about and mine are lost in the past with Hillary Hitler. While romances were never my preferred genre, there was something about such a tragedy that pulled me under and left me wanting more. 

“Tell me another story,” I whisper into the near silence. The fire crackles before Iero replies. 

“Another day perhaps,” he smiled slightly into the flames and I wonder where his thoughts are because they are not here. 

“Thank you,” he murmurs. 

“For what?”

“For letting me come in here… and for distracting me.”

“Oh,” is my intelligent response.


	6. Chapter Six

The regular clicking of my heels rings out in the deserted corridors as I follow the tall figure of James Hatty up to the library. Due to my regular visits to the place, I have seen Hatty go up there every Thursday after school since the start of the year. His jeans don’t quite reach his heels as he walks and everytime he takes a step the pale skin of his ankle is exposed hinting at either a recent growth spurt or a lack of money to buy new ones. His tattered school bag is covered in drawings and doodlings. 

He seems unaware of my presence behind him, though I have taken no measure to conceal myself from him. His carefree walk and the swinging of his arms gives me the impression that his thoughts are focused elsewhere than the dreary corridor we are walking through. 

As he ascends the stairs to the library, I deposit my bag by the tapestry of a hunt in the Middle Ages, take a selection of books out and readjust my crimson red and jet black hair. I tug my shirt down to expose a little of the skin on my chest. It takes Hatty several minutes to find the book he is looking for, then he comes jumping down the steps, two at a time. 

As he reaches the bottom step, I step forward and we collide. I make no attempt to stop the books from spilling out of my arms as I fall gracefully onto my butt. Hatty looks startled, clearly not thinking anyone would be here at this hour. 

“Sorry,” he mutters, reaching out to pick up some of my scattered books. “You’re reading Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet?” he comments, handing back the book I had picked up from the library earlier. 

“Yeah,” I reply shyly, ducking my head and looking up at him through my eyelashes.

“Cool. I didn’t realize you were into Mystery. You seem more of a Fantasy sort of person.” He frowns and I cannot help but snort.

“Fantasy? What in God’s name makes you think I would be into Fantasy?” I snort again, the shy façade fading quickly. 

“I don’t know, you just seem the type- dreamy, vacant, a little odd….” He shrugs.

“Odd? How kind of you,” I smirk and he blushes slightly. 

“I didn’t mean it like that, just unusual….” I just continue to stare at him, eyebrow raised. “I’m sorry, please don’t be offended, I have a habit of saying the wrong thing,” he pleads, clearly concerned he has upset me. I look down letting out the smallest of sighs. “Please don’t be upset,” he mutters, stepping closer to me.

“I’m not upset,” I whisper, refusing to look up at him. He steps even closer and reaches out a hand to tilt my chin up. I still refuse to look at him. 

“Please, Donahue,” he begs, brushing some hair from my face. “I didn’t mean to upset you. To be honest, I think being unusual is a good thing so really, it was meant to be a compliment…,” he explains with a half-smile. Deciding now is the perfect time to pounce, I lean closer and gently press my lips to his. 

His reaction is instantaneous as he springs away from me, knocking into the wall on the other side of the corridor. He stares at me with wide and confused eyes. I stare right back at him. 

“What the hell, Donahue?” he finally manages to choke out. “I have a girlfriend!” 

“Oh,” I mutter, faking innocence. “I’m so sorry, I had no idea. I would never have presumed…It’s just you…I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to, it just sort of happened….I thought you wanted…Never mind,” I mumble, lowering my gaze to the floor. 

“Hey, don’t worry about it.” He smiles but remains pressed to the opposite wall. This is decidedly harder than I anticipated it would be. Pretending to choke back a sob, I reach for another one of my books that is still lying on the floor. Hatty sighs heavily before stepping toward me. “Here, let me help you,” he says, taking several books from me. 

“Really, you don’t have to,” I mutter, refusing to meet his gaze.

“Donahue, don’t be like that,” he frowns. “It was just a misunderstanding.”

“Really, I just-” Pretending to burst into tears, I let the few books I’m holding fall to the ground again and Hatty swiftly pulls me into his arms and starts stroking my hair, whispering soothingly. 

We stand there for a while, me letting out the occasional fake sob and him trying to comfort me but being clueless as to what he should do. Eventually, I let my hands entangle themselves in his robes as I slowly lift my head up, trailing my lips across the exposed skin at the base of his neck where he had loosened his own tie. I feel him shiver and then freeze. 

With my lips hovering on his neck, I let my hands slide up his chest. For a moment, he doesn’t react. Then, in the distance, footsteps break the silence and he jerks away from me once more. This time however, he grabs my shirt by my shoulder and drags me to the tapestry where my bag is. He pushes it aside to reveal a small alcove.

Pushing me inside, he lets the tapestry fall back into place.

“What the fuck is your problem, Donahue?” he hisses. Anger is evident in his face as he glares at me, one hand still gripping my shirt and forcing me against the wall, his fist clenches making the hem of my sleeve dig into my armpit. “I’ve just told you I have a girlfriend!” he hisses, clearly trying to be quiet. I’m briefly concerned he might lash out and hit me, but then the thought disappears. “I don’t know what sick little game you are trying to play but it isn’t going to work on me! I love Brooke more than anything and I would never cheat on her! I know your reputation as a little leech but I don’t want to be a part of it, is that understood? I was just trying to be a gentleman but you have to throw it back in my face. You are messed up, Donahue. Seriously messed up--”

He is cut off as the tapestry is yanked aside to reveal the startled face of a young, brunette girl with hazel eyes that pass over me and fix on Hatty. I immediately recognize her as Brooke James and jump at the chance. I look from her to Hatty and suddenly pull him in for another kiss. He is too shocked to pull away and just stands there, frozen. 

Brooke’s eyes fill with confusion, and then seeing that Hatty has not pulled away yet, fill with tears. She spins around, barging past a confused Charlie and running down the corridor. 

Charlie immediately runs off after her, clearly trying to score points with the poor girl by being there to comfort her. Hatty turns to me, and this time he actually does hit me. Punches me right in the eye, hard enough that it will definately bruise tomorrow. I am shocked and don’t move for quite some time. Hatty has long left the alcove, and I am left in silence. Something I usually find myself enjoying, praying to get some time to myself, but at this moment find I wish I had some companionship.   
__________________________________________________________________________

“Evening Cam.” Charlie nods. “I see you weren’t kidding when you said you’d be able to do it.” 

“I didn’t do it.”

“What do you mean?” He frowns.

“He didn’t kiss me.”

“But…”

“It wasn’t what it looked like,” I snap, bending down to pick up my bag. I was just leaving the library when I ran into Charlie.

“Either way, it worked.” Charlie shrugs and I walk off without another word. 

As the days get colder, more and more people are seeking the comfort of another’s arms. With the first snow falling early, I find myself confined inside with little to do. People seem to be more trusting of each other leading up to the Christmas Holidays so I have no jobs to attend to but Melissa’s. Glancing out the dreaded left window of the study hall I see the figures of Victor, Peter, and Keegan, running around the track. With Victor on the track and practice not starting for another two hours I decide to head home.

As I make my way down the corridor that leads from the study rooms and library, I trip over a figure sitting hunched up against the wall, his head in his hands. Startled, he snaps his head up and I can tell he’s been running his hands through his hair repeatedly by the way it’s sticking up in different directions, just as I crash to the floor, my chin banging harshly off the marble.

“Leech?” He sounds surprised. I take that chance to scramble off the floor, cheeks flushing. “What are you doing down here?”

“Going home.” I shrug as Iero stands up and brushes the dust from his jeans. “May I ask what exactly you are doing on the floor?” I frown. Iero shakes his head so I continue on my way. 

“Wait up,” he calls when he realizes I have gone. “You know, Leech, I was actually in the process of looking for you.”

“Where? In the cracks on the floor?” I snort.

“Nope. I got lazy halfway to the library. Thanks for making it easy; I figured you’d come down this way eventually.”

“You’re lucky I did, otherwise you’d be ‘searching productively’ until the janitor kicked you out.” 

“Less painful for me,” he agreed. We continue walking for a few feet, and then my curiosity gets the better of me.

“What was it that you wanted, exactly?” I stop abruptly, causing him to continue walking and then turn around. 

“Oh, right,” he looks slightly sheepish. I roll my eyes and wait for him to continue. “So I was thinking…me and my friends have a gig tonight- a band gig. I was wonding if, you know…you wanted to come?”

I raise an eyebrow. “This is sounding like a date Iero.”

He laughs slightly before replying. “Not a date. I don’t take girls on dates to a gig, especially my own. Even if it does happen to be you.”

I glare at him; honestly, I should’ve expected that, but it still hurt. I turn and continue walking away.

“Oh come on, Leech! You know I didn’t mean it!” He grabs my elbow and spins me around. We are much closer than I would like us to be but he doesn’t seem fazed. He pulls me slightly closer, so our chests are touching. 

He leans down so his lips are touching the shell of my ear. “It would mean a lot to me if you did come.” He’s smirking, I can tell. Bastard. 

“This isn’t just some scheme to get in my pants, is it?” I glare at him.

“No, we’ve talked about this; I only make out with you because I feel sorry for you.”

I look down at myself, the white shirt and black pants I’m wearing are definitely not suitable to wear to a gig. “Fine. I’ll go to this gig, as long as I get to change first and put on some more makeup.” He looks appalled, but agrees anyway.

After only a few steps, Iero stops me by gripping my elbow. “What?” I snap irritably.

“Where are you going?” he asks. “My car’s that way.” He nods his head in the opposite direction.

“I take the bus,” I say, as if that explains everything.

Iero brings a hand to his chest, looking mock hurt. “You insult me! I have a car, you know.”

“Yeah, and I figured the floor would be littered with condoms, so I’m really saving you the embarrassment.”

Iero sighs. “You did not just call me a slut.”

“Well, not really.” I shrug. “Okay, the male version of one. We both know you sleep around.”

Iero rolls his eyes, grabs my hand, and tugs me down the hall. “If I promise my car isn’t filled with condoms, will you come without complaint?”

“It depends. I mean, there’s still the drugs to take into consideration.”

Iero glares at me. “You think I’m a fucked up retard, don’t you?”

“Oh, sorry. It wasn’t meant to be obvious.”

After that, Iero says nothing more until we’re seated and strapped in his car- an ancient army-green Chevy that takes ten minutes to start up -and he only speaks then to ask which radio station I prefer. 

After that, the only human voice in the car is Green Day’s lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong.

“Nice place,” Iero says, startling me by speaking as he pulls into the drive.

“Thanks,” I mutter, awkwardness hanging like fog. I jump out of the car and walk up to my door. I notice that Ierodo hasn’t left the car, so I turn around. “You coming? I’m probably gonna be a while!”

He quickly moves out of his car and we walk up to my room, not before the Housekeeper comments, “Really, Miss Donahue? Bringing your little ‘friends’ home with you, are you now? What will your parents have to say about this?” I glare back at her and pull Iero up the stairs.

We finally get to me and Melissa’s shared room and I find her reading a book on her bed. “Melissa, get out. I have company.” She looks up, startled, and her eyes widen when she sees Iero standing behind me. Her eyes zero in on where I’m still holding Iero’s hand from when I pulled him up the stairs. 

“Why should I have to get out of the room? You two can go the the library or something.”

“You’re the one reading; you can go to the library. Besides we’re going to need a bed for what we’re doing.” I raise a brow at her and gesture to the door.

She looks appalled and makes gagging gesture. “Cam! I do not need to know what you do with boys in our room!” She runs out, nearly forgetting her book.

Frank chuckles and pulls me closer. “We’re going to need a bed, are we? That’s news.”

I push him away, “Just go sit on the bed while I change.” 

Iero makes a mock hurt face. “We haven’t even done anything yet and you’re already through with me. I’m hurt.”

I laugh slightly before grabbing some clothes from my half of the closet. “Close your eyes, will you? I don’t wanna walk to the bathroom or leave you in my room alone.”

I start changing without turning around, trusting he has closed his eyes. I pull my shirt over my head and then pull my skirt down. I bend down to pull my Converse Boots with yellow lace out of the closet. I pull my black ripped jeans out of the closet as and have to wiggle a little to get into them because they’re very tight jeans. I then pull my white tank top over my head, the one that says, ‘Life is a bitch, so am I.’ I then grab my shoes and turn around to see that Iero was in fact watching me the entire time. I blush fiercely. He smirks in return. “You do have a very nice ass. They were right.”

Suddenly I’m very curious. I sit down on the beds and start pulling my boots on. “Who was right?” Iero smirks at me.

“All the guys. You wouldn’t believe how much they talk about you. Honestly, they never shut up.”

“That has to be an exaggeration.”

“Trust me, it isn’t.”

“Trust you? Really?” I roll my eyes, I walk over to my mirror and start putting my eyeliner on.

“Why wouldn’t you trust me?” He looks unsure of himself.

“You can’t trust someone that you don’t like.”

“You don’t like me? That’s hurtful.”

“You’re bearable at times, like when you brought me to the nurse, and that time you told me a story in the kitchens.”

He half smiles at that. 

“Hand me my black eyeshadow will you? It’s on the table beside my bed.”

Iero immediately grabs my eyeshadow and walks it over to me. I thank him and start applying it. After I finish with my mascara, I look myself over in the mirror. “What do you think Iero? Good enough to meet your band mates?”  
“More than enough to meet my bandmates. They’re gonna love you.”

“Don’t you mean, think I have a nice ass?”

“Well, they will think you have a nice ass but they’ll love you.” I grab his arm and drag him out of my room, not before grabbing my beige knit beanie.   
__________________________________________________________________________

When me and Iero walked into the bar it was fairly empty; I hoped it would fill up before Iero and his band started playing. The venue was a small place on a street corner. I expected it to look worse inside, the stereotypical grungy place, where you have a high chance of acquiring an S.T.D just by using the washroom. It was cleaner inside than expected though and I wasn’t nervous about getting a disease from this place; there wasn’t even the stereotypical loud electronic music because Iero’s band hadn’t started playing. 

Iero took me behind the stage where his band was setting up. There was a guy with what liked an afro that had grown out. There was a guy with long black hair that reached his shoulders, and a guy with long dirty blonde hair; he had the same nose as they guy with black hair. There was one other guy that had blonde hair and a lip ring. They were all taller than Iero, which in turn meant they were all extremely taller than me. They were all wearing dark clothes with band t-shirts that I definitely recognized. They didn’t seem like a band that would be playing any of the mainstream pop music, so I was very excited to hear them play.

“Guys, there’s someone I would like you to meet.” Everybody turned to see me and Iero standing there and me slightly behind him. Iero grabs my hand and quickly pulls me in front of him. I wave slightly before the black haired boy jumps in front of me and introduces himself. 

“Hi there! My name’s Gerard, but you can call me Gee, everybody else does. I sing by the way.” He points behind him to the guy with dirty blonde hair. “That’s my brother Mikey, he plays bass.” Mikey waves slightly, before turning to fiddle with his instrument. “The guy with the fro is Ray, he’s on lead guitar.” Ray comes up and hugs me, and I am left not knowing what to do so I stand there awkwardly. Once Ray removes himself from me, Gerard introduces the last guy. “And last but not least, that’s Bob. He’s on drums.” 

I wave to everybody, and introduce myself. “I’m Cam, I sing as well and I play piano. Other than that, I don’t really do much.” 

Iero laughs slightly. “You do a lot of people, so I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Everybody looks at Iero confused, while I glare at him. 

“You’re just jealous that you’re not one of them.” 

“Oh please, like I’d ever.”

“Really? Then why do you keep telling me I have a nice ass?”

“For the record, he’s telling the truth. You do have a nice ass.” I turn to glare at Gerard and find him smiling sheepishly. 

“Whatever, I’m going to get a drink.”

Iero grabs my arm, “We’re both underage, neither of us can go buy a drink.” I spin around on my heel and walk over to Ray.

“You’re over twenty-one, right?” He nods and I grab his hand and drag him out to the bar. “Buy me a drink, would you?” 

“I don’t know if Frank would appreciate that.” He looks over at the stage, where the rest of the guys are finishing setting up the stage. Iero is watching us, intently. 

“If you won’t buy me a drink, I’m sure I could get someone else to. Like that guy over there.” I gesture to an attractive guy with brown hair and green eyes, he’s been watching me intently since I walked in. I noticed him earlier when I walked in with Iero.

Ray looks over at him and sees the way he is watching me. “Fine, I’ll buy you a drink. But only one.” 

I smirk, clearly winning that argument. Ray makes me drink it backstage, though, away from the bar. As I’m sitting back there, a girl walks over to me. She has black hair and is wearing Mikey’s jacket that he had on earlier. She is very pretty. “Hi! I’m Alicia, Mikey’s girlfriend!” 

I smile and wave. “That explains the jacket. By the way, I’m Cam.” Alicia blushes at the mention of the jacket and plays with the hem of her shirt.

“The whole band’s coming to my place after the gig for a little get together. I figured since Frank is your ride you might want to tag along.” 

“I would love to come, as long as it’s alright with you. And Frank of course.” 

She looks confused. “Why wouldn’t it be alright with Frank? You are his date tonight, aren’t you?” she questions awkwardly. I burst out in a fit of giggles and cover my mouth with my hand.

“Me, on a date, with Iero?” I continue to giggle and can’t seem to stop.

“Why is that such a funny thought?” She looks confused. I finally am able to control my laughter.

“Even if I wanted to, which I don’t, Iero would never. He hates me, and the only reason he talks to me is because we make out quite often. Our relationship is purely physical.”

Suddenly Iero walks up to us. “Mind if I steal Cam for a couple of minutes? Just before the show, then she’s all yours again.” Alicia nods and walks over to Mikey.

Iero drags me out into a small corridor only big enough for two people at most and very bright. I lean against the wall, trying to get as far away from him as possible. 

“I don’t hate you,” he says, putting his arms on either side of my head. He’s staring right at me, looking into my eyes. He tilts my face to the side and looks intently at my eye. “What the fuck happened to your eye?” I gasp and quickly move away from him.

“Nothing, my eye is fine.” I spin around and walk back to Alicia. , who’s waiting for me on the dance floor.  
________________________________________________________________________

Eventually, me and Alicia filtered out to the dance floor, joining the blooming throng of people as the band began to play. 

“Thank you!” Gerard calls to the audience. They just finished performing their written songs, and I’m amazed at how…amazing they were. Frank is actually really good at playing the guitar. “And now,” Gerard yells, “I’d like to announce a special treat! One special lady in the audience will get to suggest a cover song for us to reenact, and she’ll get the honour of coming upstage to help us perform it!”

Whoops and shouts.

“Alright!” Gerard shouts. “Who will it be?”

About every single girl in the room’s hand shoots up--including mine.

“Ah! What about the lovely redhead over there. Cam, was it?” Gerard grins and I grin back as people part to allow me a clear path up to the stage. Frank offers me a hand and I take it; he hauls me up.

Everyone cheers and applauds.

“What song will it be, Cam?” Gerard holds the mike to my lips.

I’ve been waiting for this. “Basket Case, by Green Day.”

People scream in accordance as a film screen drops from the ceiling, and a projection is shot onto it; the lyrics, but I already know them by heart. “Do you have the time/To listen to me whine…” 

I finally finish breathless. Somehow, I ended up on my knees by Gerard. 

For the longest time, the crowd is silent, and I fear they hated my performance. But then they explode into wild cheers, and someone pulls me to my feet, wrapping an arm around my waist.

I look over and sure enough, Gerard has his arm around me, a wide beam splitting his face, waving like it was all him doing the good stuff.

I roll my eyes but wave as well, and just like that, I fall in love- with the hype, with the music.

I hadn’t ever believed that I could fall in love with something Frank Iero has- that I could ever be jealous of him.

Yet here I am, envying his life.

I need to find my own band, I think.

Frank helps me offstage, and he’s grinning too. Before letting go of my hand, he leans over the edge and whispers in my ear, “Nice job, Leech. You surprised me.”

I glare at him first, then end up laughing. “Is that a good thing?”

If possible, his beam enlarges. “It’s an excellent thing.”

Then he lets go and I find myself lost in a crowd of fans, wishing he hadn’t.

“Hey!” Alicia screams in my ear over the hype. “Great job out there! Are you sure you’ve never performed?”

“No,” I admit. “Hey, I’m thirsty. Wanna grab something to drink?”

“Sure!”

Then I remember. “Won’t the bartender mind?”

Alicia rolls her eyes. “Girl, that bartender isn’t any older than nineteen. He better not mind.”

So that was how I found myself completely wasted an hour later, wrapped in the arms of a stranger on the dance floor. I had went and gotten a drink after multiple dances and was currently by myself.

Iero and his band had stopped playing a while ago, and we were listening to reruns of their songs on CD. Last I’d seen Iero, he was somewhere over at the bar, a glass of beer sitting prone in front of him.

He’d been staring at me, glass untouched. Suddenly a voice is yelling into my ear over the loud music. “What?” I couldn’t make out what he said, so sensing this, he just smiles and pulls me onto the dance floor. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer to me. He has broad shoulders and long blonde hair that reaches his shoulders. His large hands are on my lower back and seem to be inching lower. I grab his hands and move them back up to the top of my back. We continue dancing dancing and his hands just continue reaching lower and lower. 

“Okay, look buddy, move those hands or lose them,” I say coldly before pulling away. 

“What? I didn’t get you drunk enough to sleep with me?” He grips my elbow, squeezing my elbow hard enough that I know I will have a bruise there.

“Let go of me, right now.” I try and pull my arm away, but his grip is too tight. 

“And if I don’t?” He smirks at me, and I give him a coy smile. I grab a drink off the tray of a passing waiter, and pull him slightly closer, pressing my lips to the juncture of his neck. I suddenly pull away and throw the drink right at him, seeing as I’m too short to actually pour it over his head. 

“Strawberry Daiquiri. My favourite,” I smirk before turning on my heel and walking over to Iero at the bar. 

“Hey,” I say sitting beside him and taking his drink. 

“Everybody’s just packing up, and then we’re leaving for Alicia’s house,” he says taking his drink back.

“Good, I’m ready to leave. Plus, I really don’t like the look I’m getting from that guy.” I gesture to the guy I poured my drink on.

“What happened to him?” Iero looks surprised, and then glances swiftly in my direction. “Isn’t that the guy that you were dancing with earlier?”

I nod my head and pull the drink away from him and down the rest. “Yeah, he got a little too handsy, so I dealt with him.” I see the guy that I doused in daiquiri walking in Iero and I’s direction. “Okay, time to go.” I grab his hand and pull him out of his seat. I’m a lot more drunk than I thought and start to fall over right away. Iero grabs me and puts an arm around my waist to help me walk out of the club. He guides me to his car and sits me down in the passenger seat. 

When he sits down in his seat, I grab his hand and pull him closer to me. “Can I tell you a secret?” Iero laughs slightly and nods his head. 

I lean in closer and put my lips just over his ear. “You’re actually a really good kisser.”

He smirks and I pull my head back slightly to watch him. “Am I now?” 

I nod my head and lean slightly closer, our lips almost brushing. “You know, you have to tell me a secret now. Since I told you one. It’s only fair.”

“Fine.” He contemplates what to tell me for a moment and then grabs my other hand. “I would date you, because I don’t actually hate you. I don’t think I could ever hate you.”

I pull my hands back so I can cross my arms. “That’s not fair! You told me two secrets so know I have to tell you another one!” I pout, and stomp my foot on the floor of his car.

“So, tell me another secret then. Make it fair.” He grabs my hands again and pulls me so we’re face to face again. The shift is digging painfully into my stomach, so I decide to climb over the seat onto Iero’s lap. My chest is leaning against his chest, and I start to play with the ends of his hair that hangs down by his face. I thought he might be surprised, but he takes it in stride, pulling me hard against him. I twist around so I’m straddling him which is decidedly more comfortable than only sitting on one of his legs and twisting to look at him, like I was doing before. 

He groans slightly and grabs my waist. “Stop moving, or we might have a problem.”

I giggle and shift around again. “Oh, is little Frankie getting a boner?”

He grips my waist more tightly this time, which forces me to stop. “Yes, I am getting a boner. And for the record I am not little.” 

I roll my eyes and wrap my arms around his neck, playing with the hair at the base of his neck. “I still have to tell you my other secret,” I tease, hoping to get a reaction.

He nods his head and starts playing with the hem of my shirt. 

“You know how you asked me about my eye earlier and what was wrong with it?”

His fidgeting immediately stops and he stiffens. I pay no attention and continue to play with his hair. “ Charlie, you know, my little brother?” He nods his head in affirment. “He paid me to break this couple up, James Hatty and Brooke Aiden, so he could sleep with Brooke. I kept trying to get James to kiss me, but he wouldn’t. So when Brooke walked in on me and James standing very close to each other, I saw my chance and I took it. I grabbed James and kissed him, he was so shocked he didn’t pull away and Brooke ran off crying. James was so angry he hit me; punched me right in the eye. That’s why I have a giant bruise there, under all the makeup.” 

Frank stiffens and grabs my hands from around his neck. “My god, Cam. Why didn’t you tell anyone? Tell me? I would’ve beat his ass for you.”

I giggle at that comment. “Oh, Frankie, you’re too tiny to beat anyone up. Aiden’s way bigger than you. But still, that’s sweet.” I wrap my arms around his neck, and he slides his hand up my back. He pulls me closer until our lips are brushing. 

I push my lips against his harder, and he tangles his hands in my hair, knocking my hat off.

I tug his hair and he bites my lip in protest. I moan slightly and undo a button on his shirt so his neck is exposed. I break our kiss so I can lean down and kiss his throat. He pushes me back and starts kissing my neck, finding my sweet spot fairly quickly and starting to suck on it. I pull his head up and start to kiss him again. 

He pulls away, leaving us both breathing deeply, and rests his forehead against mine.

“I’m not gonna do this with you when you’re drunk, Cam.”

My cheeks are stained red and his hands are still tangled in my hair. 

We untangle ourselves from each other and I climb over into the passenger seat. 

I reach over and grab his hand; it’s nice and warm and I entwine our fingers. “Let’s head over to Alicia’s house and meet the rest of the band.” 

He agrees and we drive off.


	7. Chapter Seven

“Hey! You’re early!” Alicia cracks, placing her hands on her hips, a stern look dominating her face as Frank and I cross the threshold of her home, Frank half carrying me to the lounge.

“We are?” I slur.

Alicia cackles, arms flying to her sides. “No, I was just pulling your fingers.”

Frowning, I glance down at my hands. Start counting the fingers. “One… two… five… three…” I lose myself at twenty-seven and have to start again: “One… six… two… ten… eleven… fifteen…”

I scowl and repeat.

Frank moves to cover my hands with his, drawing my gaze up to his face. He is staring down at me. “Are you sure you’re alright, Cam?”

I giggle, reaching up a finger to stroke his cheek. “You’re very pretty,” I purr, pressing my lips to his throat.

“Alicia?” I hear Frank say, bass tones vibrating against my lips. I giggle again as he says, “I could use a couch for this.”

“Tickles,” I laugh, cupping his neck with my free hand and nuzzling my face further into his throat. “Again,” I mutter, something slimy slipping down my lips.

“Ew, Cam? No- you’re drooling. We don’t do that. Not here, not ever.”

“Pretty,” I lilt, tracing my lips up his jaw. “Tickly.”

“Couch, Alicia.” Through the haze, an emotion registers: panic. But I ignore it and suck on his earlobe as he heaves me to a densely-packed living room and throws me on a couch rather unceremoniously. I break out in hysterical tittering and reach my arms out to his blurring figure, looming darkly over me. “Again,” I command. He glares at me and picks me up from my lying position on the couch and sits me up before plopping himself on the couch beside me. 

“Frankie, let’s do something fun!” I was whining, I was blatantly aware of that fact, yet I didn’t care. I leaned heavily on Frank and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down towards me. He tried to pry my arms off of him, until Alicia suddenly catches my attention.

“Alicia! Bitch, don’t go pouring yourself a drink without giving me one.” She looks up at me, her eyes widened more than normal. I walk over to the buffet table and she hands me a bottle with some form of alcohol in it and I start downing it. I can see out of the corner of my eye that Frank has jumped off of the couch and is heading towards me. 

I turn to face him just as he makes his way over to me. “Can I help you?”

He tries to grab the drink from my hand, but I hold it above my head, which thinking back was probably a very moronic thing to do considering Frank is taller than me. He tries to grab the drink from my hand again but I jerk back trying to keep it out of his reach. I stumble and the liquid spills all over me. 

I immediately stop what I’m doing and look down at my shirt in shock. Frank looks down and his widened at the site of my shirt. He quickly tried to cover me up by stepping closer to me, so the other guys can’t see.

Alicia quickly grabs my arm and spins me around. She looks me up and down quickly before wrapping her arm around my shoulder and leading me out of the room. “Oh, you poor thing! Let’s go get you cleaned up; you can take a quick shower to wash all the beer out of your hair and then you can borrow one of my shirts.” I look down and realized that none of the beer had gotten on my pants but my boots were surely ruined from all the beer that had dripped off my face and onto them. I look behind my shoulder and see Frank standing there and giving me a sympathetic look, and then turning around when he sees my eyes on him. 

Alicia leads me down the winding hallway and finally stops at a yellow-painted doorway on the right-hand-side. “Here we are,” she says, and I can detect a lilt to her words. I just had time to wonder if she was drunk before she shoves me into the bathroom and tells me to wash up; she will be back with a shirt and towel.

I take my time under the tap, running the water to burning hot. I lean back and the droplets smack against my face. I sigh. “Tickles,” I murmur.

“Damn, Cam. You look so freaking hot when you’re showering.”

I squeak and grab the curtain, wrapping it around myself. “Alicia?” I ask in amazement. She’s sitting on the closed toilet seat, watching me with wide eyes. “What are you doing?”

“I brought you a towel.” She holds up the towel in her hands. It is dark blue with ducklings. 

“Cute,” I venture.

Then giggle, because when you are drunk, everything is just so damn funny.

“Well, are you gonna get out and change?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.

Now, under regular circumstances, I would question changing in front of an almost-strange girl. But again--alcohol does many wonders to the body and brain and whatever else it is that makes common sense so common...and...senseful?

So I hop on out of the shower and yank the towel from Alicia, eagerly drying myself off. 

“You’re shivering,” Alicia notes, standing up. 

“Cold,” I mutter. Another thing I have noticed about drunk people--their sentences either consist of one word, or many words jumbled together in an incomprehensive lame-ass excuse of a sentence. I seem to take after the first.

“Here.” Alicia takes the towel, wrapping it around my shoulders and rubbing my back with gentle strokes, then sliding her hand lower and rubbing gentle circles over my ass with the heel of her hand, then dancing her fingers lightly under the towel, smoothing her nails over my cheeks….

“All better,” I announce gleefully, throwing off the towel and bending to grab my panties off the sodden floor, not even watching (or for that matter, caring) where I stick things and in whose direction.

I have just finished pulling on my lower-body garments and bra when I stop, reaching for the beer-stained tee on the ground. “Shirt?” I inquire, looking at Alicia wonderingly. 

Alicia moves toward me, a finger trailing down my jaw, shoulder, and resting on my heart. Slowly her fingers crawl into my bra, tracing the nipple and cupping the breast. “You see,” she says, “I realized when I came in here that I forgot to grab you a shirt, but you just looked so fucking hot, I kinda forgot to go grab you one. But you know...you don’t really need it.”

Before I can ask what she is smoking--because she is clearly past the “merely drunk” stage--she grips my shoulders roughly and shoves me back against the sink, compressing her lips onto mine with a passion.

I am shocked, standing stock-still as her lips tear away at mine, her tongue travelling the length of my lips, seeking entrance. When I deny it, she forces her way in, tongue grappling with mine.

I have been so caught up in resisting her tongued fury that I have not noticed her hands sliding over my half-wet bare skin until I feel her fingers fumble with the clasp of my bra.

When I attempt to shove her away--clearly, a useless attempt; stupid drunk jelly arms--she only shoves into me harder, leaning her body against mine while my lower back shoves painfully into the edge of the sink. Finally, her fingers manage to undo the clasp, and I feel my bra slap against my toes as it falls to the ground.

“Don’t resist,” Alicia mutters soothingly through our locked lips, and for a second, I get confused. That voice--at least the tone. Frank uses it quite so often, when we are making out.

If I had been sober, I never in my life would’ve mistaken hot, sexy Frank Iero with creepy, bi Alicia...whatever her last name was. But as it is, I am drop-dead wasted, and before I can realize what is happening, I am circling my arms around Alicia’s waist, hooking my thumbs in the waistband of her jeans, sliding my hands into the back of them, tightening my hold and kissing back just as passionately. I feel her smile and we turn into a sweaty, wet mess of tongue, skin, and aggressive groping.

(Even drunk, I know I’d have to apply some kind of soothing cream to my boobs when this night is over; Alicia’s constant groping and rummaging hands are having a worse effect on me than rugburn is.)

As my hands move down to her ass, my fingers squeezing tightly, I feel something...off. 

On occasion, when Frank and I’s makeout session become obsessively heated, we would (admittedly) grop each other; have done it once or twice. And yeah, I have felt his ass-cheeks before, luckily with at least two layers between my skin and his. 

So yeah, I know his butt is fine and well-structured and sturdy, and yeah, what my fingers are exploring now are most decidedly not Frank Iero’s ass.

I would know that ass anywhere, however creepy that sounds. To be fair, he’d know mine anywhere, too.

I slap my hands against Alicia’s chest; she clearly takes it the wrong way, but all is ironed out when I shove her so hard, she slams into the opposite wall.

I am shocked to realize that I am shirtless, braless, and half-way to pantless, and Alicia is standing in front of me in nothing but her barely-there lace thong.

I think she just wrapped a string around her ass once and finished with it.

I gasp, bringing my fingers up to my lips in horror. What the fuck just…

“What’s wrong, babe?” murmurs Alicia seductively. “Why’d you pull away? Needed air?”

“You kissed me,” I say, amazed and mortified and feeling like a big ball of cow shit all in one.

“You kissed back.” Alicia is pressed back up against me again, her buoyant boobs choking my face what with her extra height advantage. She leans down and takes one of my nipples between her lips, sucking, bobbing up and down as a hand fingers with the inside of my panties and the other runs gently up my side. “I think we’re done with intermission…”

Just as her teeth are grabbing on to my lower lip do I snap back to my complete senses. I bring a hand up to slap her as hard as I can across the face just as her hand slides up my stomach and cups my left breast.

Alicia yells out in horror and pain, and I just have time to dive for the shower curtain again as the footsteps down the hall turns to booms of thunder and the door bursts open, revealing a disheveled and horrified Mikey and Frank.

“What the fuck--” Frank says, stepping into the room. He stops mid-sentence, looking between the two of us. I can’t help myself; maybe it is the alcohol that is making me so emotional, or because I am so close to my cycle--but I burst into tears.

Frank immediately comes over to hug me or comfort me in some way, but stops when he sees that I have no clothes on my upper body. Alicia has wrapped herself in the towel before Frank walked into the room; it probably didn’t matter what Mikey saw. I’m assuming he’s seen it all already. 

“Your girlfriend, Mikey, just basically raped me!” I yell out. There are still tears on my face but they have turned into tears of anger and I start furiously wiping them away with one hand. 

“You were kissing me back! Don’t lie and make me like some kind of villain!” she yells, glaring at me furiously. Suddenly I feel completely sober, probably from the shock of the situation. 

“You’re the one who took advantage of someone that was completely shit-faced! And for the record, I’m not a lesbian; you just reminded me of someone else.” There is no way in hell that I will let it slip, who she reminded me of. The relation doesn’t even make sense to me anymore. How I could connect a guy that I’m basically friends with benefits with to someone I barely know is beyond me. 

Mikey steps in at this point. He has clearly heard enough out of both of us. “Look Alicia, that’s it. I’m done. You’ve been acting completely strange lately and I knew something wasn’t right, I knew. I should’ve dumped you weeks ago, but I didn’t and I wish I had.” Mikey storms out of the room and I hear the front door slam. Alicia looks at me with tears in her eyes.

“This is all your fault, you stupid bitch!” Alicia runs out of the bathroom after sending me one last glare. To be honest, the reaction isn’t that bad considering my line of work, but this situation is quite different so that makes it all the worse.

After she runs out of the bathroom I realize that she had no clothes on whatsoever; I hope she had a good hold on that towel so she didn’t give the guys anything to look at. I look down at myself and see that I’m not wearing a shirt at all and Alicia didn’t bring one for me to wear. Not that I want to wear her clothes anyway. Sighing, I reach down for my beer stained shirt and hold it in front of my face, glaring at the shirt like it has offended me in some way, before preparing myself to put it on. I am about to pull it over my head when a hand grabs my arm. 

I look over my shoulder at Frank and see that he is not wearing a shirt; just his sweater. I look him up and down before raising a brow at him. He sees my look and thrusts the shirt into the hand that isn’t holding the shower curtain around my upper body. He quickly walks out of the room, shutting the door swiftly behind him. I take this as my cue to put his shirt on and quickly do so. The fabric is thin and the air passes through easily, making me get goosebumps. I open the door of the bathroom and walk straight into Frank who is standing outside like a body guard. 

Frank looks down at me then he blinks. He blins again, his mouth falling open slightly. “What?” I ask, self-consciously touching my cheeks. “Have I got something on my face?” Frank clears his throat and shakes his head. His eyes leave my figure, but flicker back again. “Stop staring at me like I’m an alien,” I complain.

Frank complies, turning to walk back into the living room before facing me once again. “It looks good on you.”

I don’t know how to reply. A hint of pink rises in Frank’s cheeks but I can’t recall if it was there before or not. I simply shrug it off, taking it as a compliment without thinking too much about it. 

“Thanks,” I reply, slowly gazing up at the ceiling. Why is Frank being so nice to me all of a sudden this week? Maybe we have established a friendship now, but it is unlike the both of us. Maybe Frank isn’t as much of a dick as I originally assumed, but I was just anticipating the next tantrum he threw unexpectedly. I try not to dwell on it for too long.  
__________________________________________________________________________

“Hey,” I say suddenly, reaching up to tug on Frank’s sleeve. He stares down at me; raises an eyebrow in question. “Can you give me a ride home? I’m a little bit wasted.”

He smirks. “I thought you were completely shitfaced?” 

I grin goofily and slip my hand into his. I hear him shudder in a breath, but don’t really take it in, to calculate and interpret as I usually would, because, well...I’m drunk.

Grinning gleefully, I tug on his hand and skip down the hall to Alicia’s front door. Just as my hand is resting on the knob to throw it open, he pulls back a bit, brows furrowing. I giggle, leaning into him. “What?” I question.

“I forgot something,” he says hastily, extracating his fingers from mine. I pout and try to snag his hand again, but he dances it away. He is smiling wistfully--or at least, I am rather certain his expression is wistful--but he does not take my hand again. “I’ll be right back,” he promises, and turn to dash down the hall.

I sigh and call after him, “I’m shitfaced and hot! Meet you outside!”

I fling the door open and run out into the cool night, the frigid breeze welcome on my clammy forehead and arms. I am about to bolt down the stairs and rub up stupidly against one of the cars parked in the drive because I am so very hot and that car looks heavenly cool, but then I am met by a wall of resistance that I later identify as a human being such as myself as the both of us go crashing to the wooden porch.

I am laughing and rolling on the ground because of it. “Whee!” I squeal, flinging my arms in the air.

“Ow,” Mikey contradicts, rising to his feet and yanking me up with him.

“Whee!” I repeated again.

Mikey gives me a weird look. “You are one shitfaced girl,” he announces.

I giggle, poking him in the chest- damn, that’s where all that resistance was. “I know,” I say loftily. I look up at Mikey and see that he does not seem as gleeful as I do; maybe he has nargles in his garden and one got in his ear or something. Or maybe his mouth. I can’t imagine they taste too good.

“Hey,” I say softly trying to keep his attention trained on me. “I’m really sorry about what happened. It’s my fault, if Frank hadn’t brought me none of this would have happened.” I frown up at him, trying my best not to look to upset. The alcohol makes me want to burst into the tears. 

He looks down at me before smiling slightly, “I’m glad he did, I got to meet a beautiful girl on the same night I dumped my own bitch of a girlfriend. Really, it’s a win-win. Plus, who knew how many times she’s cheated on me before? And with other girls. I mean, most guys think girl-on-girl action is like, the thing, but walking in on your girlfriend doing it…” He shook his head hopelessly. “What a way to find out your girl’s a cheating wench.”

I nod understandingly before bursting into tears. I am very emotional when drunk, I’ve noticed. “It’s still my fault! Maybe if I wasn’t so stupid and had pushed her away at the very beginning none of this would’ve happened!” He quickly wraps an arm around me pulling me into his chest; he’s a great deal taller than me so I find I have nowhere to put my arms. I latch my hands onto his sweater and pull him slightly closer, burying my head into his chest. A giggle bubbles up in my throat and soon I pull away and am just standing there giggling.

“I’m so silly! Crying over nothing at all!” I smile goofily at him before stopping and staring at the ground deep in thought. “Man, I really need to lay off the drink…”

Suddenly, I hear Mikey chuckle and see him shake his head in amusement. He looks at me for a while then abruptly voices a thought that pulls me out of my reverie. “So, what’s going on between you and Frank anyway?” 

I stare at him for a second before responding dryly, “Nothing, we’re just friends. I mean, you must know that he’s a player.”

“Yeah, we’re all waiting for his saving grace that will make him stop sleeping around and settle with one girl. It doesn’t look like that day will come anytime soon.”

“Frank? Settling down? That thought is laughable. You know,” I turn to look at Mikey, “his man whoring is only going to get worse when you guys become rich and famous.”

Mikey laughs slightly, stuffing his hands into his jean pockets. He turns his head to face me, staring at me intently. “Hey, do you want me to drive you home? You’ve had a long night and are probably very tired.”

I smile at him, before running a hand through my hair. “No thanks, I’m waiting for Frank. He said he just forgot something.”

“You know you’re not really helping your case of nothing going on between you two.”

I laugh before shoving him down the steps lightly. “Go home, your night has been worse than mine.”

He waves slightly before jumping into a car and leaving. 

“If you wanted someone to tell you you were beautiful,” says a voice from behind me, and I jump as they continue, “you didn’t have to look further than me.”

I turn to find Frank leaning in the doorway, which I had left ajar, a plastic bag from ‘Wal-Mart’ thrown over his shoulder. 

My eyes narrow and I walk up to him, stabbing him in the chest as I had done Mikey, only more violently. “Were you spying on us? Asshole!” I declare.

His eyes widened. “Calm down, Leech. I only came near the end.”

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. What’s in the bag?”

He looks at it as if just realizing its presence. “Nothing,” he says, looking back at me with a startled expression on his face. 

“Liar.”

Frank smirks. “I know. Ready to go.”

“I was ready to go when I realized I was about to get raped.” I skip down the stairs, tripping and nearly smashing my face into the post at the bottom of the stairs as I went.

Frank winced. “Careful,” he warned, then added, “and can we not discuss the near-rape experience? Please?”

“For once, I’m more than happy to oblige. In fact, I’m so tuckered out, I may just pass out in your vehicle--right after I throw up in the backseat.”

Just as I’m about to jump into the passenger seat of his car Frank says something that startles me. “By the way, thanks for doing that for Mikey; I haven’t see him laugh or smile that much in a couple months.” 

I stop moving and look over at Frank just as he gets into the car. And I shake my head and jump in after him.  
______________________________________________________________________

Frank insists on walking me up to my door when we finally pull into the drive. Just as I am reaching for the handle, just about ready to collapse in bed and pass out for fifty days, Frank says, “Wait. You plan on going inside and sleeping without giving me a goodnight kiss? Hurts, Cam. It really hurts.”

I sigh impatiently and turn to cup my hand around his neck. Leaning up on my tiptoes, I tug his face down and kiss his cheek.

Well, that was what I’d planned on doing. Frank seems to enjoy soiling my plans because he turns his head and the last second and catches my lips with his. I resist at first then just go with it. He wraps his arms around my waist and I hook my pointer fingers in his belt loops, yanking him snugly against my chest. I put my hands under his shirt and trace the lines on his stomach, and he lets out a small moan against my lips. I bite his lip hard asking for entrance, he opens his mouth and I shove my tongue in, so it’s clashing with his. We start fighting for dominance, he unfortunately wins (which is surprising considering I’ve kissed a lot more people than he has; I decide this happens because of the alcohol.) His hands start to trail lower, and I jerk away, suddenly reminded of Alicia and I shudder.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” I shake my head, and turn to face my front door. I reach down to my side to grab my keys from my bag, and my hand waves through thin air. I look around my porch to see if I had dropped it in my run in with Frank. 

“Hey, do you know if I left my bag in your car? I didn’t have it at the party, so I probably left it in your car after the gig.” I turn to him and gesture towards his car. 

He glances at his car then looks back at me, raising an eyebrow at me. “You didn’t have a bag when we left the gig. I would have remembered a bag getting in the way.”

I tilt my head in confusion, “Getting in the way of what?” He shoots me a look that clearly says, ‘You’re very stupid.’ It finally dawns on me that what he was referring to is our heated make out session in his car before the party. 

“What do you need your bag for anyway?” Now it’s my turn to give him a look that says ‘You’re very stupid.’ 

“I had my keys in there.”

“So, call your sister or brother.” He says it like it should be the most obvious thing in the world. I glare at him.

“You don’t think I thought of that! I’m not stupid! Besides, my phone is in my bag.” I run a hand through my hair in exasperation. I look up suddenly, “Let me use your phone.”

He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “I don’t have mine either. I don’t bring it to gigs.” We stare at eachother for the next few minutes.

“Just ring the doorbell.”

“I’m not ringing the doorbell! My parents are home, and I’d rather not get in shit for coming home drunk as fuck.”

“That’s understandable I suppose.”

I nod my head in response. “Can I crash at your place tonight?”

“Why?”

“Do you want to stand here all night until someone gets up in the morning? Which won’t be for a while by the way, my family sleeps in on the weekend.”

“When you put it that way…”

“That’s what I thought.” I quickly hop off my porch and walk over to his car and slip into the passenger side.  
______________________________________________________________________

Frank quietly opens the door to his house and I slip off my boots while he slips off his ratty converse. I walk forward slightly and trip over something in the dark, I feel a hand slip into mine to lead me throughout the house. Even with the guidance I trip over my own feet. “Sorry,” I whisper out before wrapping my arms around the one that had been previously holding my hand. 

“It’s fine, I have a hard time making my way around here in the dark myself.” I nod, not realising he obviously can’t see the action. We make our way up a flight of stairs and turn a corner, then stop. Frank opens a door, to what I’m assuming is his room. A light flickers on and we both step into the room, and Frank closes the door behind us. 

Once my eyes adjust to the harsh light I see that the room is cleaner than I expected it to be (aren’t they always?). There are multiple band posters on the wall, a multitude of guitar equipment in one corner of the room by the window, and in the corner farthest from the window a bed is tucked up against the wall. There are some stray water bottles littering the floor along with some clothes; there is also a TV with a game console plugged in on the wall across from the bed. 

“I like your posters,” I comment lightly before turning to face Frank. 

“Thanks. I’ll be right back, alright? I’m going to get some blankets and pillows.”

I nod. “Oh, wait. Do you have a pair of sweatpants I can borrow?”

He nods and walks over to a closet before getting two pairs. He throws one at me and keeps one for himself then walks out of the room.

I quickly change and toss my jeans onto the floor. Frank walks back into the room and starts laying blankets on the floor and making a makeshift bed. I notice that he changed into his sweats and had taken his sweater off. He stands up when he is done and starts picking up his loose clothes from the floor, throwing them into a hamper. I quickly lie down on the bed he made on the floor and close my eyes, making myself comfortable. 

“What are you doing?” I open my eyes and see that Frank is standing beside me staring down at my figure. 

“Trying to go to sleep…”

“You are not sleeping on the floor; nice try. Move it.”

I roll my eyes and roll over so I’m facing the other direction. I hear Frank sigh and then I am being lifted and thrown onto a bed. The light is flicked off and then I hear Frank lie down on the floor.

“Did you just pick me up?”

“Yes, I did. Now shut up and go to sleep,” he whispers.

“You’re not sleeping on the floor, this is your room.”

“Look Cam, I’m not getting into it with you tonight.”

I move myself closer to the wall and maneuver under the comforter on the bed. I am silent for a few minutes and hear Frank tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable. I’m pretty sure I even hear him punch his pillow a couple time. 

“Frank,” I call out softly into the dark.

“Yes, Cam?”

“You know, there’s enough room on the bed for the both of us.”

“I’m not seeing your point.”

“Just get in the bed, you dumbass.”

I hear him stand up and then the bed shifts, and I feel Frank lie down under the covers with me. 

Oh shit. What did I just get myself into?

I find myself moving closer to his warmth and snuggling into his chest anyway.


End file.
